McFarlane wants to lead Raleigh, 'a great place'

She is running against real estate executive Billie Redmond and obstetrician Dr. Randall Williams in the Oct. 11 election to see who will succeed five-term Mayor Charles Meeker, who recently announced his support for McFarlane.

"I've been watching this mayor's race very closely, as you can imagine, and Nancy has been running an outstanding campaign, reaching out to all groups, listening to everyone and running a very positive campaign – the kind of campaign the whole community can be proud of," Meeker said, adding that he believes McFarlane is behind the "key issues" of parks and greenways, sustainability and maintaining an active downtown.

McFarlane said she believes her time on the council gives her an edge in understanding the needs of Raleigh and in finding solutions.

"We are in a great place, and we can be even greater," she said. "People are moving here because we are great and we have so much to offer.”

McFarlane has served on the City Council since 2007. She is a pharmacist and president of Med Pro Rx, a specialty pharmacy focusing on chronic illnesses. Helping the private sector flourish is a priority in her vision to create new jobs.

“We are so lucky we have all these universities and colleges here, and we have this great influx of young people that just have ideas and the potential to be entrepreneurs," she said. 

As with Meeker, McFarlane embraces what they call "planned growth" and says she is committed to better public transportation to manage that growth. She sees the 306 pristine acres of Dorothea Dix as a public park.

“I think that the value in Dix is more than just the price per square acre," she said.

McFarlane has touted her work to protect the quality of life and environment in Raleigh as a member of the City Council's comprehensive planning and budget and economic development committees.

She has lived in north Raleigh since 1984, is married and has two daughters and a son.

Early voting ends Saturday. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the voters in the Oct. 11 election, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held Nov. 8.