News & Observer endorsement: Our choice in Raleigh’s mayoral election

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin surprised many with her April announcement that she would not seek a third term, in part because of family medical issues, but also because she had accomplished many of her goals and had new opportunities.

The surprise was also a reprieve for Raleigh. Had Baldwin run again, she would have split the city in a tight race that now includes her former challenger, Terrance Ruth, and the well-known and well-connected Janet Cowell, a former city council member, state senator and state treasurer.

Now, the race to lead Raleigh will not be about the political tensions of Baldwin’s tenure. It will be about a new approach to leading the capital city.

Fortunately for Raleigh, strong candidates are seeking the top job. The contenders are led by Cowell and Ruth, an N.C. State University professor who received 40 percent of the vote in his 2022 race against Baldwin.

Also running are Paul Fitts, 55, a mortgage loan officer making his third bid for mayor, who wants Raleigh to make better use of underused city and state property; Eugene Myrick, 52, a small-business owners and advocate for affordable housing, and James Shaughnessy IV, 25, a caterer, who is also focused on affordable housing.

The crowded field could skew the outcome. The race this year will be decided by a plurality, meaning the candidate with the highest percentage of the vote wins. Still, the frontrunners likely to take more than 50 percent are Cowell and Ruth, in that order.

Cowell, 56, a resident of Boylan Heights, brings an exceptional resume of public service. In her most recent post she was president and CEO of the Dix Park Conservancy. Her knowledge of the new 308-acre park would be an asset. Developing the park’s projects and linking it to downtown will be one of the new mayor’s top tasks.

Cowell would bring both experience and a collegial style that could ease the tensions between the city and community groups that grew during Baldwin’s tenure.

“I hope I can bring good relations, take the temperature down a little bit and work well with the staff and build trust with the citizens of the city,” Cowell told the Editorial Board.

Lowering the temperature will mean addressing the main cause of friction – the city’s growth and its effects on the city’s character and affordability. Virtually all candidates for City Council say affordable housing is the top issue.

Cowell said the challenge with growth is managing it. She agrees with the current council’s push for more multi-family housing, but also wants to preserve the city’s leafy character and develop its green spaces. “I think what people are looking for is a better balance of community benefits along with growth,” she said.

Ruth, 42, a resident of the Oberlin Road area near N.C. State, is focused on those who are being left behind as the city grows larger and more prosperous.

He wants the city to address homelessness with “a higher level of urgency” and create more affordable housing. “We can’t move forward on any issue unless we can house people,” he told the Editorial Board.

Ruth also wants the city to do more to revitalize the its central business district around Fayetteville Street. “If you are going to be a thriving city, you need to have a thriving downtown,” he said.

Ruth has a strong resume of board memberships and a doctorate in public affairs, but he lacks any experience in elected office. He said his outside experience more than compensates.

“Being in office doesn’t mean you are a leader,” he said. “I teach leadership classes. I coach leaders and what we need right now is leadership.”

We appreciate Ruth’s advocacy, but it would be better suited as a regular council member. The mayor should advocate for the whole city, for people of all incomes and locations.

Raleigh’s residents are fortunate that Cowell, after a successful career in public office and private enterprise, is willing to take on the sometimes tedious and tense work of being mayor. She would bring deep experience, an ambitious spirit and a talent for communicating to the job.

We strongly recommend Janet Cowell as Raleigh’s next mayor.

This story was originally published October 16, 2024 at 11:17 PM.