Raleigh mayor's race, Cary bond votes highlight Election Day

The two biggest mayor's races in Wake County are on the ballot Tuesday, along with some big bond measures for Cary voters, but voters in most other area towns won't go to the polls till next month.

Posted 4:10 a.m. Oct 8, 2019 — Updated 9:58 p.m. Oct 8, 2019

RALEIGH, N.C. — The two biggest mayor's races in Wake County are on the ballot Tuesday, along with some big bond measures for Cary voters, but voters in most other area towns won't go to the polls till next month.

Turnout was light – after only 3 percent of voters cast early ballots.

Voter Russell Philbrack said he was disappointed more people weren't going to the polls Tuesday.

"They don't seem to draw many people because the don't take time to read what the candidates' positions are, I'm afraid," Philbrack said. "It is too bad to see so few people showing up. We've all got to get more serious about a lot of things for the next generation."

Win Stephens said he was voting for Raleigh candidates who are opposed to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport leasing property for a quarry.

"This is right beside Umstead State Park, and we ought to try to protect all the land we can out there," Stephens said. "Once it's gone, you never get it back."

Polls are open until 7:30 p.m.

Municipal election guide

Six people are vying to succeed Mayor Nancy McFarlane as Raleigh's chief executive: former City Council member Mary-Ann Baldwin, community activist Zainab Baloch, attorney Charles Francis, musician George Knott, former Wake County commissioner Caroline Sullivan and attorney Justin Sutton.

If no one gets 50 percent of the vote, the second-place finisher could ask for a runoff election against the top vote-getter in November.

Twenty-one candidates are running for the seven seats on the Raleigh City Council.

Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht faces a challenge from Dero-Asha Davis-Weeks in his re-election bid, and the District D seat on Town Council is up for grabs.

Voters also must decide whether Cary should issue $113 million in bonds for transportation upgrades, such as wider intersections and improved sidewalks, and $112 million in bonds to add parks and preserve open spaces in town.

Find your polling place

Elsewhere, four people are in the running to become Rocky Mount's next mayor, and three seats on the City Council also are up for grabs.

In Harnett County, three commissioner seats in Dunn and one in Erwin are contested.

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington faces an opponent in his re-election bid, and the 4th Ward alderman race on the City Council is also contested.

Durham and Fayetteville both have primaries in October, followed by a general election in November.

In Durham the primary will narrow the field for three at-large seats on the City Council. Fayetteville's primary is solely for the District 2 and District 6 seats on City Council.

Voters in all the other towns in the Triangle area will go to the polls on Nov. 5 to choose their local leaders.

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