NORTHWEST WARD, REPUBLICAN PRIMARY — PETER SORENSEN
In the Republican primary for Winston-Salem’s Northwest Ward, YES! Weekly endorses Peter Sorensen. In his first bid for elective office, Sorensen has clearly defined his positions on the important issues facing residents of the Northwest Ward. He is an opponent of forced annexation and believes the city council focuses far too much on providing amenities for the downtown area while neglecting the neighborhoods in the outlying areas. Sorensen strenuously opposed any public financing of the downtown ballpark, which sits in the Northwest Ward. “We should’ve been very wary that private enterprise didn’t want to do it on its own,” Sorensen said. “I just want to bring accountability [to the council]. I’m for smaller and smarter government.”
Sorensen’s primary opponents, Matthew Shelton and Jim Painter, have failed to clearly articulate their reasons for getting into the city council race. Sorensen’s base of support, especially in the northernmost part of the Northwest Ward, could make him a tough challenger for Democratic incumbent Wanda Merschel on Nov. 3.
SOUTHWEST WARD, REPUBLICAN PRIMARY — TED SHIPLEY
In the Republican primary for Winston-Salem’s Southwest Ward, YES! Weekly endorses Ted Shipley. A 31-year-old attorney, Shipley is an opponent of forced annexation. His vision of Winston-Salem’s future includes lowering taxes on businesses and individuals to foster greater economic development. Shipley believes he will appeal to conservative Democrats in the Southwest Ward who opposed the city loaning an additional $15.7 million to Winston-Salem Dash owner Billy Prim to complete construction of the downtown ballpark. Democratic incumbent Dan Besse crushed Shipley’s primary opponent, Donald T. Shaw, in 2005. There’s no reason to think this year’s general election would be any different if Shaw won his party’s nomination. Also, new blood and fresh ideas would be an asset in council chambers. At age 54, Besse is the youngest member of the elected body.
SOUTH WARD, DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY — MOLLY LEIGHT
In the Democratic primary for Winston-Salem’s South Ward, YES! Weekly endorses Molly Leight. A oneterm Democratic incumbent, Leight considers herself a “public servant and activist.” Leight never aspired to run for office, and those are exactly the kind of citizens Winston-Salem needs serving on the city council.
Anyone who refers to the city’s tree ordinance as a “puny ordinance” because it doesn’t go far enough to protect the environment gets YES! Weekly’s endorsement anytime. Granted, Leight’s opponent, Wesley Hudson, also doesn’t believe the tree ordinance does enough to protect green space, but Leight’s record of community service gives her a slight edge in this contest.
SOUTHEAST WARD, DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY — JAMES TAYLOR
In the Democratic primary for Winston-Salem’s Southeast Ward, YES! Weekly endorses James Taylor.
In one of the most heated and controversial city council races in Winston-Salem, Taylor has distinguished himself
by maintaining his composure during key moments in the campaign. In one
of his better moments, Taylor contrasted his philosophy of public
service to that of Democratic incumbent Evelyn Terry during the
Southeast Ward candidate forum last month. After Terry effectively told
the audience it was their responsibility to get more involved in their
communities and make their voices heard at City Hall, Taylor responded
immediately. “It’s not only your responsibility to fix these things;
it’s our responsibility,” he said. Jimmy Boyd, a retired police
supervisor, spoke in clichs and campaign slogans. Taylor stood up for
the Southeast Ward residents who expressed concerns that night. And
when an audience member confronted Terry about her record of service,
the tone of the forum turned so negative that many people walked out.
But Taylor, a juvenile justice counselor, kept fighting to make his
voice heard. A member of the Silk Plant Forest Citizen Review
Committee, Taylor was the first member to state his belief that Kalvin
Michael Smith had suffered a great injustice at the hands of the
Winston-Salem PD and the Forsyth County DA’s Office. That kind of bold
action takes courage, the kind of courage that will serve Taylor well
on the city council.
EAST WARD, DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY — DERWIN MONTGOMERY
In the Democratic primary for Winston-Salem’s East Ward, YES! Weekly endorses Derwin Montgomery. A senior at Winston-Salem State, Montgomery embodies the idealism and faith in our government and institutions that has fallen by the wayside. It could be argued that Montgomery’s candidacy is a direct result of President Obama’s victory last November. A Deans Scholar, Montgomery is working toward his political science degree. He serves as the first vice president of the NAACP’s Youth & College Division and a mentor for at-risk youth. A youth minister at Calvary Baptist Church, Montgomery plans on enrolling at Wake Forest University next fall and entering the dual-degree program for the law school and divinity school. On Aug. 28, Montgomery called upon the city council to instruct City Manager Lee Garrity to order Police Chief Scott Cunningham to reopen the Kalvin Michael Smith case. Montgomery also called upon the council to instruct City Attorney Angela Carmon to file a brief with the NC Court of Appeals in support of a new trial for Smith. Montgomery’s actions reveal a young man of integrity. Longtime Democratic incumbent Joycelyn Johnson has yet to publicly state her position on the citizen committee’s report which states it has “no faith” in the investigation of the Winston-Salem Police Department into the 1995 Jill Marker-Silk Plant Forest assault case. Challengers Harold Hairston and Donald Scales both have excellent ideas about economic development in the East Ward, but there’s no substitute for idealism and faith in government.
NORTHEAST WARD, DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY — VIVIAN BURKE
In the Democratic primary for Winston-Salem’s Northeast Ward, YES! Weekly proudly endorses Vivian Burke. Mayor Pro Tem Burke, who has served on the council for 32 years, gets the nod only because her opponent, Sam Davis, has failed to participate in any campaign events including a candidate forum last month.
NORTH WARD, DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY — DD ADAMS
In the Democratic primary for Winston-Salem’s North Ward, YES! Weekly endorses DD Adams. A political veteran, Adams would be a worthy successor to Nelson Malloy, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Adams, 55, has worked on more than a dozen campaigns at the local, state and national level. Currently, Adams serves as secretary of the 12th Congressional District for the Democratic Party. A longtime North Ward resident, Adams also serves on a number of area boards and committees, including Winston-Salem’s Urban League, the United Way Women’s Leadership Council and the city’s Sustainability Commission. In 1990, Adams lost her bid for NC House to Warren P. Odom by a mere 100 votes. She didn’t call for a runoff, but the experience did nothing to extinguish her burning desire to make a difference in her community. DD Adams is fond of saying how much she loves Winston-Salem, and she means it. Democratic challengers Phillip Carter and Wayne Patterson are both excellent candidates but Adams’ maturity, experience and impressive political rsum give her the edge.
