Photos by Todd Luck
Democracy
NC's Linda
S u I I o n
addresses
attendees.
Candidates speak at
first major forum of
election season
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Voters were courted
last Thursday evening as
candidates for City
Council stated their cases
at a forum held at the
Forsyth County
Behavioral Health Plaza.
Sponsored by the
Winston-Salem Urban
League, the Winston
Salem Branch of the
NAACP and the local
Democracy North
Carolina affiliate, the
forum was hosted by
Democracy NC interns
Shelby Hart and Charles
Gray, who ensured candi
dates kept their speeches
to only a few short min
utes.
City Council incum
bents touted their past
accomplishments and
urged voters to give them
the opportunity to do
more. Mayor Pro Tempore
Vivian Burke, who repre
sents the Northeast Ward,
said she welcomes those
challenging her.
"This is America. We
should have more people
running and more chal
lenging us," said Burke,
whose Democratic pri
mary challengers are
Jemmise Bowen and
Brenda Diggs. both of
whom spoke at the forum.
Ine winner of the
primary will face
Republican
Michael Owens,
who was not on
hand.
Challengers
like Democrat
Bill Talum, who
is running in the
Southeast Ward
against
Democratic
incumbent James
Taylor for a
chance to face
Republican Mike
Hunger in
November, told
voters why
change is good.
"If everything
is fine then I
shouldn't be run
ning," he said. "But my
purpose for running is
this: number one. I think
we need to look at trans
parency in the communi
ty; 1 think we need to be
involved in the activities
the council is putting
together."
Democrat Carolyn
Highsmith, a neighbor
hood advocate challeng
ing Democratic incum
bent Molly Leight for the
South Ward, touted her
grassroots credentials.
Highsmith said she
formed seven neighbor
hood watch groups to help
battle crime and worked
with the Ministers
Conference of Winston
Salem and Vicinity on its
property devaluation
appeals project.
"I'm a nurse by pro
fession. so I care about
my individual neighbor,
my individual citizen in
South Winston-Salem,"
said Highsmith.
Leight said she was
proud of her record,
which includes helping to
attract numerous large
employers to the city and
working with her col
leagues to pass a fiscally
responsible budget. The
winner of the primary will
face Republican Nathan
Jones. *
With Northwest Ward
incumbent Wanda
Merschel deciding not to
seek reelection, three
Democrats are preparing
to square off in the Sept.
10 primary The winner
will face Republican Lida
Hayes Calvert on Nov. 5.
Jeff Macintosh touted
his decades of experience
in real estate as
a property
restoration spe
cialist. Noah
Reynolds, who
is also
employed in the
real estate
industry, talked
about the city's
slowing growth
in the last few
decades; he
promise'd to
restore the city
to its former
glory. Laura
Elliott, an
ordained minis
ter, cited the
work she did for
10 years as an
employee at
Experiment in
Self Reliance.
an agency devoted to
helping the working poor
and homeless.
Mayor Allen Joines
and his Democratic chal
lenger Gardenia Henley
also spoke, as did James
Lee Knox, the Republican
hoping to be mayor.
East Ward incumbent
Derwin Montgomery and
his challengers - Joycelyn
Johnson and Phil Carter -
addressed the crowd, as
did Donald Shaw, a
Republican running for a
chance to face off against
Democratic incumbent
Dan Bessc in the
Southwest Ward, and
Howard Hudson, one of
the Republicans challeng
ing Republican incumbent
Robert Clark for his West
Ward seat.
The event was also to
include messages from
State Sen. Earline Harmon
and State Rep. Evelyn
Terry but both women had
to cancel because of a late
night session at the
General Assembly during
which the Republicans
passed an elections bill
that will, among other
things, require a govern
ment-issued photo identi
fication to vote, eliminate
same day registration and
shorten the early voting
period.
Democracy NC Local
Field Director Linda
Sutton told attendees the
bill will cause a sharp
increase in disfranchise
ment. but she urged them
not to be discouraged
from voting.
"Let's disappoint the
naysayers, let's vote like
never before." she said.
Gardenia Henley
Howard Hudson
Donald Shaw
James Lee Knox
Gray
Hurt
Employment Discrimination
Social Security Disability
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Immigration Law
Civi Rights
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Winston-Salem, NC 27101
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