There’s something about Election Day, even if it’s just a primary election.
There’s anticipation from when the polls opened at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday until they close at 7:30 near dark.
“It’s the calmest I’ve ever been,” Fayetteville Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jensen, 60, was saying as she stopped by the Kiwanis Recreation Center precinct just after noon in her bid to become the second woman to hold the city gavel. “I’m ready. I’ve sat at the table. I’ve learned the job.”
Jensen is one of 10 people hoping to survive the primary, including Mitch Colvin, 52, the current mayor, trying for a fifth term. Other candidates are two-term city councilman Mario Benavente, 35; three-term councilwoman Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, 42; former two-term councilwoman Tisha Waddell, 46; former three-term councilman Paul Williams, 62; perennial mayoral candidate Efrain “Freddie” de la Cruz, 63; Clifton Johnson, who is running for a second time; John Ashford, and Nahlee Iris Smith.
Two will advance to the Nov. 4 general election.
Colvin, who made a last-minute decision on July 18 to hold onto the city gavel after announcing five weeks earlier he wouldn’t run, was out early Tuesday at Church of Christ on Country Club Drive to cast his vote.
He had campaign supporter Dan Caldwell soliciting votes at the Kiwanis Recreation Center.
“He’s going around,” Caldwell said about the mayor making stops at precincts throughout the city.
Clifton Johnson was there asking potential voters to consider him for mayor.
Benavente had support from his mother-in-law, Anne Gregory, at the Kiwanis precinct, and later from his wife, Caroline Benavente.
“Our team has put in the work and left nothing out on the field,” Mario Benavente said after being the first to cast his vote Tuesday at the Cumberland County Board of Elections. “No matter the outcome tonight, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together. Dozens of volunteers, neighbors and friends have given their time and energy, because they believe in a brighter future for our community. That commitment and hope are what this campaign has been about from the very beginning.”
Venus de la Cruz showed up at the Kiwanis precinct in a six-passenger golf cart, saying her husband was visiting voting sites “all around the city.”
Efrain de la Cruz arrived at the Kiwanis Recreation Center around 2:45 p.m.
“I’ve been all over … Cliffdale, Ramsey Street, everywhere,” he said. “Even with opposition from the Cumberland County GOP board and the ICA [Independent Conservative Alliance Political Action Committee], which I never sought an endorsement from, I feel very confident I will make it into the primary. I am hopeful people will realize I have the potential and leadership to be mayor of Fayetteville.”
‘We have a privilege to vote’
Tuesday’s primary voting began slowly throughout the city.
“There are 54 precincts open,” Cumberland County Board of Elections Director Angie Amaro said. “As of 10 a.m., 1,425 people had voted.”
That number did not include the 5,075 who took part in early voting from Sept. 18 through Oct. 4.
Voting began picking up in the afternoon at the Kiwanis site.
“It’s a requirement to vote,” Ray Goff, 81, said. “And we’ve got a good variety to choose from.”
Giles Blankenship says voting is something he takes seriously.
“We have a privilege to vote in our country, and we need to take advantage of that,” said Blankenship, who is the minister of worship at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church. “It’s our civic duty.”
Marilyn Ellerbe, 89, says she never has missed an opportunity to vote in an election season.
“While I’m still breathing and truck’n,” said the retired schoolteacher, “I get out and vote.”
Voting gains traction
This was a good primary day, and you saw plenty of mayoral surrogates getting along with one another in what may be described as a season of politicking discord here and there. And you saw city residents eagerly heading into Cross Creek Precinct 14 at the Kiwanis Recreation Center to cast their votes for mayor and City Council district races.
It’s the way politics always should be.
“It’s not raining, and the weather is good,” said longtime politico George Breece, who stopped by to see how voter turnout was at the Kiwanis Recreation Center. And he anticipated more city residents voting after work throughout the city. “11,500 total voters are still within reach. Quite frankly, I think that is optimistic, but data and numbers rule the day. Sunset at 6:45 pm, polls close at 7:30. No rain projected and that is a good thing. We could get surprised on how many folks show up. Or don’t show up.”
When we vote, we have a better city and community.
“The high-water mark for the Fayetteville primary voting was 2017 with 12,951 voters,” said Linda Devore, chair of the Cumberland County Board of Elections. “2013 was close with 12,329. We have 5,075 early ballots and 57 approved absentees [so far] this year. More absentees may arrive today before 7:30 p.m., and military absentees can be accepted through next Monday — the day before canvass. Looks as if we will need about 7,820 more than we began the day with to surpass the 2017 turnout.”
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, 5,787 city voters had cast ballots, Devore said, not including the 5,075 in early voting.
Epilogue
You can read all about who our two finalists for the city gavel will be in our new government reporter Rachel Heimann Mercader’s story in CityView. And Paul Woolverton, our senior reporter, will be telling you about the two finalists in the District 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 races.
We’ll burn the midnight oil for you.
Gotta run. My voting precinct is calling, and I can hear my late Mama’s words. Always vote on Election Day. Always.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
We’re nearing our fourth year of CityView Today, and so many of you have been with us from day one in our efforts to bring the news of the city, county, community and Cape Fear region each day. We’re here with a purpose — to deliver the news that matters to you.
