Charles Francis
Charles Francis ran for election for Mayor of Raleigh in North Carolina. Francis lost in the general election on October 8, 2019.
Francis was the runner-up in the general election, and because no candidates received a majority of the vote, he could have called for a runoff election on November 5, 2019.[1] He did not call for a runoff election, stating, "After reviewing the results and analyzing a runoff race, I have concluded that the path to a runoff victory to re-connect with my voters and reach other voters concerned about our city would require an additional several hundred thousand dollars—more resources than available for an election just three weeks away. Therefore, though there was no clear mandate in the Mayor’s race for any candidate, I will not call for a runoff."[2]
Biography
Charles Francis was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and lives in Raleigh. He earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law. Francis' career experience includes working as an attorney, as a law clerk, and as a federal prosecutor. He has served as a Raleigh City Council member, as founding director and vice chairman of North State Bank, and as a board member of the Planned Parenthood of the Triad.[3]
Elections
2019
See also: Mayoral election in Raleigh, North Carolina (2019)
General election
General election for Mayor of Raleigh
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Raleigh on October 8, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mary-Ann Baldwin (Nonpartisan) | 38.2 | 20,861 |
 | Charles Francis (Nonpartisan) | 31.1 | 17,017 | |
 | Caroline Sullivan (Nonpartisan) | 20.5 | 11,191 | |
 | Zainab Baloch (Nonpartisan) | 6.5 | 3,553 | |
 | Justin Sutton (Nonpartisan) | 2.1 | 1,125 | |
 | George Knott (Nonpartisan)  | 1.4 | 741 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 142 | ||
| Total votes: 54,630 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
The city of Raleigh, North Carolina, held municipal elections for mayor and city council on October 10, 2017. A runoff took place on November 7, 2017, in those races where no candidate received a majority of the vote. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was July 21, 2017. All seven council seats were up for election.
Incumbent Nancy McFarlane defeated Charles Francis in the mayor of Raleigh runoff election.[4]
| Mayor of Raleigh, Runoff Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Nancy McFarlane Incumbent |
57.79% | 31,469 |
| Charles Francis | 42.21% | 22,983 |
| Total Votes | 54,452 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement, "11/07/2017 Unofficial Municipal Election Results - Wake," accessed November 7, 2017 | ||
Incumbent Nancy McFarlane and Charles Francis defeated Paul Fitts in the mayor of Raleigh municipal election.[5]
| Mayor of Raleigh, Municipal Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Nancy McFarlane Incumbent |
48.45% | 25,414 |
| Charles Francis |
36.67% | 19,232 |
| Paul Fitts | 14.76% | 7,744 |
| Write-in votes | 0.11% | 59 |
| Total Votes | 52,449 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "10/10/2017 Unofficial Municipal Election Results - Wake," accessed October 10, 2017 | ||
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Charles Francis did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Francis' campaign website stated the following:
| “ | Charles has seen our city change quite a bit over the years, and at times our city has struggled to keep up with growth. Charles is running for Mayor of Raleigh because our most pressing concerns demand inclusive, bold solutions. Charles realizes our shared vision of a city that works—for every resident and in every neighborhood. As Mayor, Charles will bring people from all parts of our city together to come up with solutions to our most pressing challenges.
Our Challenge: Too many of our neighbors work full-time but still have difficulty affording housing. Raleigh must stop talking about affordable housing and increase access to housing for more people — to rent and purchase.
Our Challenge: In every corner of Raleigh, getting from point A to point B should be simple, reliable and accessible.
Our Challenge: If we’re to realize the promise of a brighter future for our kids and our grandkids, Raleigh needs to be a healthy, sustainable, and vibrant community. Our children should be able to “go out and play” in clean air.
Our Challenge: Whether you’ve been here for generations or moved here yesterday, Raleigh should be a welcoming place for all people regardless of zip code, race, gender, nationality or who you love.
Our Challenge: Every Raleigh resident — from 9-month-old infants to 90-year-old grandparents — deserves a chance to thrive and enjoy all our city has to offer.
Our Challenge: Raleigh is home to some of the most brilliant thinkers and doers in the country. Any jobs proposal should increase the quantity AND quality of work in our community so that everyone feels a sense of purpose.
Our Challenge: Raleigh’s arts scene is booming with talent and creativity. Let’s take it to the next level. Voting Access Our Challenge: When we all vote, we all win. Raleigh must make structural changes to increase voter participation and ensure everyone in the community feels like they have a voice in our government.[6] |
” |
| —Charles Francis' campaign website (2019)[7] | ||
2017
Francis' campaign website highlighted the following issues.
Innovation and Excellence
"Raleigh is fortunate to be the home of five outstanding universities. Given that, and as one of the nation’s top tech hubs, we can lead into a new age and generate new ideas and technologies to propel our state, nation and the entire world forward. We should be a catalyst in the nation’s new economy. Our students, young adults and training opportunities should be part of that."[8]
People-Centered Business Growth and Job Creation
"Whether you are the owner of a neighborhood coffee shop, a car-detailer, serve in a professional practice or work for a major corporation, we will build an economy that helps people from all parts of Raleigh rise and thrive."[9]
Opening our Roads through Infrastructure
"City leaders talk about improving traffic flow, but have struggled on how best to do it. We must ease congestion and improve mass transit so that people can travel easily to work, school and play."[10]
Unity. Diversity. Justice. Respect.
"Diversity is a blessing. Too many people in Raleigh have been shut out of decisions at City Hall. We need to open doors for people to vote and participate not close them. Our city needs leadership that engages and will advocate for all people. We should be the beacon of civil and human rights for the State of North Carolina, leading for progress on voting rights, immigration reform, and LGBTQ rights. We should not stand idly by while the legislature and Congress debate our future. Raleigh must act and lead."[11]
Keeping Housing Accessible
"Raleigh is in the midst of a creeping affordability crisis. Raleigh families should be able to secure housing without having to go bankrupt or move out to neighboring counties.
My plan for increasing access to housing:
- Increase the number of city-owned affordable units and elevate access to housing for city employees
- Low-income tax credits are the most robust tool for building a more affordable housing. Tax credits will allow more property owners in Raleigh to build a lot more units on the ground much more quickly.
- Encourage increase lending to property owners with investment property to maintain and upgrade property in exchange for rent restrictions for a finite period.
- Increase density in areas where is appropriate to have higher density beyond the downtown corridor.
- Use city-owned land for housing developments that span across several income ranges"[12]
See also
2019 Elections
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- City of Raleigh
- City of Raleigh City Council
- Campaign website
- Campaign Instagram page
Footnotes
- ↑ News Observer, "Raleigh could see 4 new City Council members, but November runoffs likely," October 8, 2019
- ↑ Indy Week, "Charles Francis Will Not Call for Runoff, Mary-Ann Baldwin Is Raleigh Mayor-Elect," October 11, 2019
- ↑ Francis for Raleigh, "About," accessed August 25, 2019
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement, "11/07/2017 Unofficial Municipal Election Results - Wake," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "10/10/2017 Unofficial Municipal Election Results - Wake," accessed October 10, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Charles Francis' campaign website, “Issues,” accessed August 25, 2019
- ↑ Francis for Raleigh|Mayor, "Innovation and Excellence," accessed October 8, 2017
- ↑ Francis for Raleigh|Mayor, "People-Centered Business Growth and Job Creation," accessed October 8, 2017
- ↑ Francis for Raleigh|Mayor, "Opening our Roads through Infrastructure," accessed October 8, 2017
- ↑ Francis for Raleigh|Mayor, "Unity. Diversity. Justice. Respect.," accessed October 8, 2017
- ↑ Francis for Raleigh|Mayor, "Keeping Housing Accessible," accessed October 8, 2017
| |||||||||
