Editorials

Mayor
We think the real winner in this race is Charlotte. Both Anthony Foxx and John Lassiter would do a good job running the city. Mr. Lassiter, we feel, offers more experience, but Mr. Foxx offers more promise. Charlotte, like the rest of the country, is undergoing major changes and a new paradigm. We feel Mr. Foxx’s perspective of leadership better prepares him to meet the challenges of this shifting world climate.

Charlotte faces unique obstacles as the economy forces the city to reset its business priorities with the loss of jobs and money from the banking industry as well as the reductions in local and state tax revenue. The challenges are steep, but we’re confident Mr. Foxx will be a capable leader.

City Council at large
Susan Burgess has a long track record of serving this city admirably in our opinion. She has our support in her campaign to return to council. Mrs. Burgess has proven to be a champion of Charlotte’s neighborhoods, especially those in less well-to-do areas of the city. Although left of center politically, Mrs. Burgess has proven to be willing to reach across the spectrum for the good of the city.

David Howard is running for the first time, but in no means a newcomer to the political or community scene. Mr. Howard has served in leadership capacities on several political campaigns and has served on numerous community organizations, including the Mecklenburg Planning Commission. We support Mr. Howard in what we see as a natural progression of his leadership abilities and community service.

Edwin Peacock has proven to be a very capable representative after one term. He is young and energetic and unafraid to let his conscience be his guide. A moderate Republican, Mr. Peacock is a budgetary conservative, which is an asset for a city that should take a long, hard look at how its money is spent.

Darrin Rankin rounds out our slate. Another first-time candidate, Mr. Rankin represents change from status quo among Democrats. He was the only candidate from his party to oppose funding the streetcar study. That took nerve, considering his relative inexperience in Charlotte politics. Perhaps this is an indication that Mr. Rankin isn’t blind to following the party line.

District 6
We back Republican Andy Dulin in what has turned into the most competitive of the usually-gerrymandered City Council races. Mr. Dulin, a two-term incumbent, has developed an excellent reputation in constituent service and advocates for principled city spending, a real necessity with the economy still in flux. Mr. Dulin’s greatest impact is as chairman of the Budget Committee in addition to membership on the Community Safety Environment and Governmental Affairs committees. Mr. Dulin is a principled but approachable conservative whose voice will provide balance on a traditionally Democratic panel.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board
District 6
Tim Morgan, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools graduate with children in the public schools, is our choice in District 6.  He advocates the joint location of schools with public facilities such as libraries and parks to create community synergy as well as lobbying the General Assembly to amend regulations governing lease-purchase construction agreements with private developers.

District 5
We back Eric Davis, a longtime civic activist who is campaigning on a message of cooperation between district interests and the board that serves them. A former chairman of the Bond Oversight Committee, Mr. Davis has an extensive background in CMS’s political landscape. We believe that experience makes him the best choice in District 5.

District 3
We like both Joyce Waddell and Nicole Hudson for the seat, but we choose Ms. Hudson because of her energy, passion and perspective of working on the school board. As a newcomer to Charlotte, we believe she’ll use her experience as an executive at DeVry University to foster new public-private relationships that will benefit the school district.

District 2
We would’ve supported Richard McElrath’s candidacy regardless of his opposition, but since Kimberly Mitchell-Walker withdrew last week, it left Mr. McElrath as the only active candidate. Mrs. Mitchell-Walker is still on the ballot, however, which makes her eligible for election, so we heartily endorse Mr. McElrath, a longtime advocate for boosting academic excellence in the urban core.

District 1
The winner of this campaign will replace Larry Gavreau, who was seen by many outside the district as a divisive source on the school board, while many inside the district felt represented them well. We think Gail Summerskill’s perspective of how a suburban district should blend in with the overall system will be a welcome change for all of CMS.  

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