About 100 people turned out Tuesday night for a candidate forum hosted by the Greater Fayetteville Chamber’s Government Relations Committee at Fayetteville Technical Community College, where mayoral and city council candidates fielded questions on topics ranging from infrastructure and small business support to homelessness and government transparency.
The forum comes just days before early voting begins Thursday and runs through Nov. 1. Election Day is set for Nov. 4.
Three veteran local journalists moderated the event: Bill Bowman, publisher of Up & Coming Weekly; Bill Kirby, senior columnist for CityView; and Myron B. Pitts, opinion editor and columnist for The Fayetteville Observer.
Each panelist posed at least one question per round with a total of four, covering a broad range of city issues including traffic, parking, downtown development, youth curfews, gun violence, and the city’s permitting process.
Mayoral matchup: Jensen vs. Colvin
The mayoral portion of the forum opened with a pointed question from Kirby about why each candidate chose to run—especially in light of Mayor Mitch Colvin’s late entry into the race.
Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jensen, who has served on council for over a decade, said her decision stemmed from a deep commitment to the city.
“I have sat on every board, every commission, got myself embedded on tables that we have never been at in the City of Fayetteville to make us grow,” she said. “Did it throw a wrench in my plans when [Colvin] decided to run? Yes. We had conversations. I did not want to run against Mitch Colvin. Not because I was afraid, but because he and I work together.” Jensen received 2,569 votes or 18.11% in the primary.
Colvin, seeking a fifth term, addressed his late entry into the race. “When I made the conscious decision, it was after the announcement of Council Member Benavente… and Mayor Pro Tem [Jensen] who said, quite honestly and transparently, that, you know, ‘Hey, I’m turning 60 years old. I’m going to do this,’” Colvin said. “We had conversations, and I had not made a decision up until the point that I did.”
Colvin received 6,754 votes or 47.61% in the primary.
Jensen rebutted, “I will say that many conversations were made.” She referenced her decision to forgo a leadership role with the North Carolina League of Municipalities in order to focus on her mayoral campaign. “I wanted everything to be put into the city of Fayetteville. So I will leave it at that,” she said.
Council contests and candidate absences
Candidates from all nine districts were invited, though not all attended. Council Member Lynne Bissette Greene, running unopposed in District 5, and Stuart A. Collick, challenging D.J. Haire in District 4, were absent.
In District 1, where Jensen is vacating her seat, Stephon Ferguson and James L. Thomas III both praised her tenure and pledged to continue her work. Similarly, in District 3, Antonio Jones and Jeremy Wright commended outgoing Council Member Mario Benavente for his advocacy on social justice issues.
District 7 saw a dramatic moment when incumbent Brenda McNair, who had initially sent apologies for her absence, made a surprise entrance mid-forum. Challenger Kathy A. Greggs had already begun answering questions, emphasizing her consistent attendance at forums and pledging to forgo the council salary of $21,422 if elected.
Kirby closed the segment by asking both candidates how many forums they had attended during the current election season. Greggs said she’d been invited to six and attended all. McNair said she’d been invited to three or four and this was her first.
McNair received 1017 votes or 75.39% in the primary, while Greggs got 205 votes or 15.20%.
Full slate of candidates
The forum featured candidates from all contested districts:
- District 1: Stephon Ferguson, James L. Thomas III
- District 2: Malik Davis, Gail Morfesis
- District 3: Antonio Jones, Jeremy Wright
- District 4: DJ Haire, Stuart A. Collick (absent)
- District 5: Lynne Bissette Greene (unopposed, absent)
- District 6: Derrick Thompson, Kenneth E. Odegard II
- District 7: Brenda McNair (late), Kathy A. Greggs
- District 8: Rodney E. Garvin, Shaun McMillan
- District 9: Deno Hondros, Joe McGee
- Mayor: Mitch Colvin, Kathy Jensen
Government reporter Rachel Heimann Mercader can be reached at rheimann@cityviewnc.com.
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