Eight of 10 city mayoral candidates are just seven days away from finding out just how politically relevant, or shall we say, politically irrelevant they are when it comes to Fayetteville governance.
Candidates are Mayor Mitch Colvin, 52, who is bidding for a fifth term; Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jensen, 60, a six-term city councilwoman; Mario Benavente, 35, a two-term councilman; Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, 42, a three-term councilwoman; Tisha Waddell, 46, a former two-term councilwoman; Paul Williams, 62, a former three-term councilman; Efrain “Freddie” de la Cruz, 63, who is after the city gavel a third time after two failed bids; and longshots John Ashford, Clifton L. Johnson and Nahlee Iris Smith.
The primary is scheduled for Oct. 7, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the Nov. 4 general election, and then we will know if Colvin will continue to preside as the city’s 32nd mayor or if the gavel will be in someone else’s hand.
But first things first, and the first hurdle is the primary.
“Truth is, when this campaign for mayor started, it started with a shocker,” George Breece, a longtime follower of city, county, state and national politics, said Monday. “The mayor decided at the last minute to run again, which, of course, he had every right to do. By the time the dust cleared on that day, the dynamics of the mayor’s race flipped upside down. There were five or six candidates that could have competed, and it’s now down to two or maybe three, but more than likely just two.”
He’s probably right.
Breece isn’t saying who the front-runners are, but you can likely be assured the primary will come down to Colvin, Jensen and Benavente.
Primary favorites
“I am feeling great,” Colvin said Monday. “We are receiving very positive responses so far.
We will continue to push hard through Tuesday.”
Colvin said on June 12 he would not seek reelection, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family and concentrate on his business as owner of a longtime Murchison Road funeral and crematory service.
Then came a political about-face in the final 30 minutes of deadline filings on July 18 at the Cumberland County Board of Elections — a change of heart, Colvin said, precipitated by political supporters concerned with municipal instability because at least three other mayoral candidates will be relinquishing their council seats.
Jensen has long wanted to be mayor, and the District 1 councilwoman from north Fayetteville always said she would not run for mayor unless Colvin decided to step aside. She, like others, didn’t see Colvin’s change of heart coming, yet she remains committed to the race.
“I feel we have put the work in and are ready to move forward to the next step to becoming the next mayor of Fayetteville,” Jensen said Monday. “Now, it is up to the voters.”
A former activist regarding social justice, Benavente is a viable primary contender, and the Fayetteville lawyer has gone head-to-head with the mayor at city council meetings over their differences.
“Not taking anything for granted, but confident in our strong ground game, grassroots support and positive reception from voters at the polls,” Benavente said Monday. “While much of the competition is fighting for big donations from special interests, we’re fighting for working people who are the backbone of our community and the key to a brighter future.”
Primary contenders
Efrain “Freddie” de la Cruz, Tisha Waddell and Courtney Banks-McLaughlin aren’t giving a political inch in their respective campaigns.
“If you are keeping up with the app Next Door, you will see that I have over a 50% polling percentage with over 2,000 people polled,” de la Cruz said Monday. “Also, last election when I ran for N.C. House seat District 44, I received over 12,600 votes in 26 of the 55 precincts in Fayetteville.”
A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and former military police battalion commander, de la Cruz has become a perennial politician, failing by a 62.3%-37.7% margin to Rep. Charles Smith in the 2024 N.C. House race and by sizable margins in the 2023 and 2021 mayoral races.
Despite those losses, de la Cruz isn’t giving up the political ghost and believes he is a viable mayoral candidate and can make a difference in public safety.
“I am very confident,” de la Cruz said, “I will win the primary.”
Councilwoman Courtney Banks-McLaughlin is in her third term representing District 8 in west Fayetteville, and she’s confident, too.
“I’m feeling hopeful and determined as we head into October 7,” she said Tuesday. “The energy on the ground is real, especially from Black women who are fired up and ready for a meaningful change. There’s a growing excitement about making history with Courtney Banks-McLaughlin as our city’s first Black female mayor.
“I am honored to be a part of this movement and urge everyone to show up and vote. Together, we have the power to shape the future we deserve.
“Too often, women — especially Black women — are overlooked when it comes to leadership,” Banks-McLaughlin said. “In 2019, I made history. Now, I’m proud to be on track to do it again. I stand as a reflection of every woman, and of this bold, resilient ‘Can Do’ city — living proof that we can lead, we can succeed and we will change the game.”
Tisha Waddell also wants to be the first Black woman to serve as the city mayor. Waddell was a District 3 councilwoman from 2017-2021, abruptly resigning in November of 2021, when she accused Colvin and other council members of unethical conduct and a lack of transparency regarding the potential sale of the city-owned Fayetteville Public Works utility to a Louisiana-based investment firm.
She believes city residents deserve government in the sunshine and accountability, i.e., no backroom deals or negotiations.
“I feel optimistic that the people of Fayetteville are ready for a mayor that reflects their values and character, and who is ready to go to work on their behalf,” Waddell said Monday. “I’m confident that a great deal of those who stand for transparency, ethics and accountability in government see me as that candidate.”
Paul Williams isn’t downplaying his chances, either, to survive the primary. He was a city councilman from 1977-1999 and from 2003-2007.
“About as good as anybody’s,” he said Tuesday. “I believe people will identify with the conservative movement.” Among issues on his platform are public safety and standing up to what Williams describes as local government corruption, including what he describes as corruption in the county court system. “I expect more of a turnout on our side. Colvin may have a big awakening.”
As for John Ashford, Clifton L. Johnson and Nahlee Iris Smith, they just don’t appear to have political traction and appear to be long shots with not much of a chance for the mayoral gavel.
Breaking it down
Voter complacency is another issue for consideration.
“First, turnout in early voting is dismal,” George Breece said. “Voter participation in early voting is nowhere close to where most thought it would be. It reminds me of the 2019 primary when the total turnout was 3%. The city primary turnout in 2023 was 8.5%. I just hope our present early voting percentage numbers increase over the next four days.
“Clearly, low turnout helps all incumbents.
“Maybe 10% of the registered voters care about the primary, and certainly the primary candidates do,” Breece said. “But overall, most will just wait until November. I think the real question is, does Fayetteville need to be the only one of Cumberland County’s local municipalities to have a primary? In the mayor’s primary race, if the second-place finisher is within eight to nine percentages of the first place, then the mayor’s race will be much, much more competitive in November. If it’s over 10% or more, then perception becomes reality.”
Epilogue
We’ve had our share of mayoral forums. Turnouts were minimal. They seemed to be more for political operatives than candidates themselves.
We’ll know on Tuesday evening who will be our mayoral finalists heading into the Nov. 4 general election.
Odds-on-favorites appear to be Mitch Colvin, Kathy Keefe Jensen and Mario Benavente, but none of us know for sure until every ballot is counted.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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