N&O endorsements: Our choices for Wake County Board of Commissioners

The Wake County Board of Commissioners is completing a change that will expand the board from seven to nine members. Five of the seats are elected from districts. Two new at-large seats will be elected countywide.

None of the incumbents in the district seats have drawn opponents in the March 3 primary. For the two at-large seats, on the Republican side, there are two candidates, Gary Dale Hartong and Kyle Stogoski; both will automatically advance to the November general election. On the Democratic side, there are seven candidates; the top two vote getters will face the Republicans on Nov. 3.

The board decides at least two things that Wake County residents care strongly about — the county property tax rate and how much tax revenue goes to fund public schools. It also funds the sheriff’s office and oversees parks, libraries and emergency medical services.

The Democratic primary field offers a mix of deep experience and fresh ideas. Here’s who’s running:

Steve Rao, 55, is a former three-term Morrisville Town Council member who wants to apply his governing skills countywide. As an Indian-American, he would give that community, based in Morrisville and Cary, a presence on the board.

Rao, an energetic communicator, said he will be “a commissioner who doesn’t need any on-the-job training.” He supports public schools but says he would question the Board of Education’s requests for large funding increases. His priorities include expanded transportation options and creating more affordable housing.

Christine Kushner, 62, of Raleigh, is familiar to most Wake County voters. She spent 11 years on the Board of Education, including two as chair. She understands the needs of public schools and would be a strong advocate. Creating more affordable housing is also a priority for Kushner. She would like the board to act as a “quarterback” in coordinating the housing programs of nonprofits.

Kushner said the policies of the Trump administration and its cuts in federal funding spurred her to return to public service “to meet the demands not only of this job, but of this moment.”

Robert Mitchener Jr., 55, is a Raleigh native who spent 30 years with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office and now serves with the State Capitol Police. His priorities are supporting public safety, expanding mental health services and increasing the supply of affordable housing.

A first-time candidate, Mitchener said his law enforcement experience, including time as a school resource officer, would be an asset as a commissioner because he has worked all over the county and also has experience in the schools.

Mona Singh, 60, of Cary, is a technology consultant and first-time candidate. Her work with smartphones and other devices has resulted in her obtaining multiple patents. She wants to bring an analytic, data-driven approach to county operations at a time when county government needs to focus on effectiveness and efficiency.

After the Democrats lost the 2024 presidential election, she said, “I realized just how much more important it was to be involved at the local level because of the cuts at the federal level.”

Jonathan Lambert-Melton, 40, is a family law lawyer who has served on the Raleigh City Council since 2019. He’s proud of how the council has encouraged more density in development and expanded the supply of affordable housing. He would like the Board of Commissioners to do the same.

“The current board members are all great people, but I think they could use some local government experience,” he said. “I see a void there that I know I can fill.”

Kimberly McGhee, 56, the owner of an event management company, is a longtime community advocate in Southeast Raleigh. In her first bid for elective office, she is seeking a chance to have a role in government. “I’m not new to fighting for people’s rights and underserved communities,” she said. “This a chance for me to pivot. It’s my time to change the system.”

McGhee wants to create more affordable housing by using tax breaks for developers and by building housing on public land. She’s particularly interested in reducing the county’s homeless population.

Marguerite Creel, 60, the owner of a tutoring service, says her academic and work experience have prepared her well to be a county commissioner. She has a doctorate in public administration and has worked in various government offices. “I have experience with transit, courts, municipal bonds,” she said. “This is my sweet spot.”

Creel, who lives in unincorporated Wake County north of Raleigh, wants to strengthen the county’s electrical grid to meet the demands of a growing population, and she thinks public schools need a more varied curriculum. But her boldest proposal is to eliminate property taxes for older homeowners regardless of their income. She did not specify the age for exemption.

Wake voters have an interesting and diverse field of Democrats seeking two new at-large seats. But two candidates stand out for their deep experience in local office and their ideas about what the Board of Commissioners should do to address growth and respond to losses in federal funding. We recommend Christine Kushner and Jonathan Lambert-Melton.

This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 4:30 AM.