First, let me apologize for letting other parts of my life overwhelm me through September so that I didn’t profile any of the Raleigh mayoral candidates here as I had hoped I could. Like many of you, it is not always a priority for me to take time out and work in the political arena. However, Liberty is important to me, and local elections such as those going on today are where voices for Liberty can make the biggest impact.

Endorsements? GoLiberty is not going to endorse anyone at this time. Had I been able to ask questions more directly related to Liberty, I think I could have done so with more confidence. Instead, I encourage readers to look at the candidates’ websites, think about the issues that are most important for you, and vote for the best person to represent your views. That’s what I will be doing.

So… who am I voting for? Well, I have taken some time this morning to read a couple of interviews and websites from candidates on the unofficial election results page that line up with my ballot. I’m in municipal (Raleigh) District C, and I am not in one of the school board districts with candidates running.

My first thought was to vote against anyone endorsed by New Raleigh. Why? Well, they clearly think “we all love” Meeker for his discriminatory actions to concentrate on new development and gentrification at the cost of the majority of citizens who live outside of the designated growth areas. As much as I like some of the articles in New Raleigh, I really cannot trust any endorsements from a group who makes such broad and assuming claims about its readership, or judging that he has "no real opponent" when three men have stepped up and done what they could (or could afford) to make their voices heard.

For Raleigh mayor, I’m voting for Larry Hudson. No, not just because he replied to my early blog post. He most represents me and my friends here in Raleigh, and he is removed enough from the downtown scene to see the needs of Raleigh at large. Kunz was my close second, and it sounds like he is in close touch with what’s going on in Raleigh government; he came in second only because he may be socially out of touch with those of us who live at lower incomes (most of Raleigh, actually). Enloe also has a few good ideas, but I think we need to steer away from the light rail dream.

For District C, my choice is between Charles Reisinger, James West (incumbent), or a write-in candidate.

I read this IndyWeek interview with Reisinger and really liked some of his responses. Certainly anyone who admits he does not want big government is at least on the right track. I also like his desire to make the council stronger and more accessible to Raleigh citizens. Reisinger’s one weak point, though, is his responses of “whatever the district wants me to do.” While it does sound like he wants to be a true public servant on the council (which I think was his intent), it comes across as a weak and unprepared response. For a stronger campaign, he would have been better to say “my district needs me to…” and fill in the blank with some well-researched response about District C.

have skimmed through this Southeast Raleigh Assembly information, a community organization effort by Dr. West. He definitely conveys awareness of his District, and he wants people in the community to be directly active in improving it. On the surface this sounds like a good thing. However, in my opinion, gathering a group of people who do some stuff and call it a success for the District may be little more than a “feel-good” strategy to win accolades for being the organizer. The true assurance of Liberty is not to organize some group to force change on individuals, but to take actions that might inspire individuals to make changes for themselves. I sincerely hope that’s the true goal of this organization, not just to get city money and continue to extend the bureaucracy sprawling forth from the Upchurch building.

For City Council District C, I will be voting for Resigner. It is time for the old bureaucracy to step aside.

The At-Large positions make me cringe for Liberty, but the fresh faces do have some sense of hope for Raleigh. For the sake of getting fresh faces in the fight against Meeker (who is likely to win because his sheeple will come out in flocks to vote for him), I will not be voting for Mary-Ann Baldwin or Russ Stephenson.

Lee Sartain’s website really conveys his vision for Raleigh. Though I think some of his ideas are not on par with Liberty and smaller government, he does want strong neighborhoods across the city. Candidates who will not leave behind certain neighborhoods in the overall vision are inclined to win my heart, whether or not they win my vote.

In this IndyWeek interview, Champ Claris conveys fiscal conservatism, which I think is important for Raleigh in our current economic climate. Though he does frighten me a bit with talk about providing incentives for private development, I think his response about ensuring the budget covers services first is an important statement about how he will contribute on the council.

Though on the ballot, candidate Bill Shakespeare did say he was pulling out of the race back in August. Be sure to reserve your two at-large votes for the other candidates.

For City Council At-large, I will be voting for Sartain and Claris.

Now… get out there and vote, people!