Wood Wins with 80 Percent of the Votes
B> MARK R. MOSS
Chronicle Staff Writer
Mayor Martha S. Wood, run
ning for a second term, easily
defeated her Democratic rivals in
Tuesday's primary.
Joseph A. Alexander, an
African American making his first
bid for public office, came in a dis
tant second with a nearly 1 1 percent
of the votes cast.
All I wanted to do was make
sure that people got out and voted,"
said Wood*, basking in a decisive
victory that totalled nearly 80 per
cent of the votes.
"It really makes me feel good
knowing that that many people
came out and voted for me, she
said.
Wood received 6,139 votes to
829 for Alexander.
"I ve always tried to stay in
touch with the people's issues," she
said.
Did the voters give her a man
date? "I feel like I've responded to
their mandate," she said.
The mayor's other opponents
were Maurice T. Atwood, who
received 416 votes* or 5 percent,
and Noah F. Glass, who received
324 votes, or 4 percent.
Wood will face Charles S.^
Smith, the Republican candidate
who was unopposed in the primary,
in November.
East Ward Not Close as Predicted from A1
at one time worked in Newell's
election campaigns, were consid
ered front runners for the seat.
Johnson won the right to be the
Democratic partes East Ward can
didate for aklerman irv the general -7
?election in November by beating
Smith, Jimmie Lee Bonham and
Larr\ Cunningham.
She collected 789 votes, or 57
percent of those cast. Smith and
Bonham each netted about 20 per
cent of the votes.
Cunningham, wtauftida't cam
paign. had garnered 2 percent.
Johnson said she was destined
to win.
Because I do have a deep
rooted spiritual belief, I believe that
He had me out here for a purpose,"
she said. "We took it to the people."
She said the "things we've done
_over the years" also helped her
claim victory. Her "hands-on"
approach to campaigning will con
tinue' through to November, she
s;ud. when she will face Republican
challenger Wilbert A. Allen.
Johnson extended an invitation
to challengers Bonham and Smith to
join her celebration, but neither
showed.
"We're not bitter," Bonham
said Tuesday night. When reached at
home. "We re competitors, but we
don't have to win."
Bonham. a hairdresser com
pleting his second bid for the seat
. (the first war, in 1989), blamed his
campaign's poor showing at the
polls on voter apathy, particularly
the low turnout of young people. He
received 273 votes.
Only 8,571 people cast ballots.
That is about 13 percent of the city's
eligible registered voters. The.
fp yg
T ur *uL \
*U?i
Supporters of Joycelyn Johnson urge voters to vote for their candidate.
Supporters of Joycelyn Johnson celebrate her victory after the precincts reported their results.
record low turnout for a municipal appears the ward doesn't want and said that he will actively sup
primary is 9.9 percent in 1985. change. port her during her campaign.
He called it a "sad commen- He said that he called and con- Smith could not be reached for
tary" on the community because it gratulated Johnson on her victory comment.
Burke, a Political Machine
, Charles Wallschleger. Repub
lican party chairman, is very sup
portive of Bey and urges blacks to
vote for him.
We're entirely going to sup
port his efforts," Wallschleger said.
Rlacks have been supportive of
the Democratic party, and they
(democrats) have taken advantage
of that."
Bey said his program will have
a broad base of appeal, because he
supports economic development for
the area.
"It depends on the will of the
people." he said. "I don't underesti
mate (Burke), but if enough peopk
want change and in a concrete way.
such as a strong economic base, she
Vivian Burke
%
, from page A 1
wouldn't be able to beat me.
"I've got an agenda with solu
tions to the problems," he added.
"I'm addressing the ills that are on
the people's minds, such as reduc
ing crime and eliminating drugs."
Still. Bey will fight an uphill
j battle against the longtime incum
bent. .
j
Burke was tirst elected alder
man in 1977, after serving as
Carver precinct chairman and orga
nizing the Northeast Ward into a
neighborhood association.
"I started organizing the com
munity at the grass-roots level," she
said. "Getting minorities registered
to vote and educating them about
(political) issues."
Burke maintains that she is a
"grass-roots candidate" because of
her weekly radio program and the
periodic visits she makes through
out the ward.
'"I scout my ward three to four
days a week and on the weekends,
discussing concerns with the resi
dents," she said. "I make sure I'm
always in the neighborhood.'
Burke said she has continued
to help make improvements
throughout her ward and the city,
noting that she chairs the Ray
Agnew Jr. Scholarship Fund for
public housing residents, and is
chairman of the Public Safety
Committee that "made the Citizens
Police Review Board a reality."
PiUMAKV KhSlVfr
Mavohm
Notes Percent
Joseph A, Alwndpr _ J129 .1 0,7.6
Maurice T, Atwpod 4]6
Noah F, Qtess Jr. J24 4^
ManhaS. wgod &JJ2? __79?4
Democratic
Vote* Eereem
East Ward
Jimmie Lee Bokhara. :n .19-74
Larry Cunningham 2fL LM
Joycelyn v. John^pn,, 789 57.05
Norma Tanner Smith 295 21.33
Southeast Ward
C.F. Carmichael
Ed (E.C.) Fraz'gr 69 L42
Larry Womblg &IQ 65 2Q
Northeast Ward
ViYian H, Burke l__U5LL__65u55
Jim Conrad 546. 3.1 ;4g
South Ward
Larrv Allen ?T ~ttr
Frarik L. Frve ? ?T7 54.88
B.G. Hauser ? 404 42.89
Republican
Voies Percent
South Ward
Jere G. Dailev 44 21LI&
Hush, Wright ? ..... ? 174 , 79.81
North Ward
Tommy L. Thr^mQiim.- _ . j$4_.Z5
Diana Williams -Cotton 1 8 2,1
Southeast Ward
R. Dale Catlett 137 , 44,48
Robert W. Nordlandcr JL7.1 $$,52
tr*r VA '? III
Womble Wins from page ai
Womble said late Tuesda\ night. I
"They like the way I stand up ami
articulate their needs, so they put a'
vote of confidence in me."
v
Womble has overcome man\
obstacles, including charges of tak
ing SI. 500 bribe in the Winston
Salem Four scandal two years ago
and this summer with his. opposition
letter to the city being awarded All-.
America status.
Womble continued to visit
precincts throughout the da\ and
admitted that he was not bothered
by the controversies, because he felt
what he did was right.
"The people in the ward .o.e
very intelligent. The\ can see
through the smokescreen. he .sua!
"They want someone unatr.: ?
very aggressive, and someone who
will take a stand for what s nuhf
Not tor social or political reasons,
but the> want someone to stand foT
what ^ nuht." he said.
Hdith Siddle, a resident and
Womble supporter, said she respects
the sian.ee. he takes for the residents.
He has helped me out a lot,"
she said And 1 think he's done a lot
great things and we need to keep
him " " _____ ?
Wotnble's quest for re-election
is' no; o\ or. In November he will
face Republican challenger Robert
\\ ..\nc Nordlander, who escaped
oil F uwi.t\ with a close victory
>wr R. Dale Cat lett.
We've just won the battle," he
a Our fight's not over yet, but
i v <>nt':dent. because I have
aiuavN nmamed in contact with the
people
Larry XS'nmhlc , right. chatK with a voter ,