Dave Nelson (North Carolina)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Dave Nelson

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2019

Education

Bachelor's

University of Colorado, Boulder

Personal

Birthplace

Eugene, Ore.

Religion

Unitarian Universalist

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Dave Nelson ran for election to the Greenville City Council to represent Ward 3 in North Carolina. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2019.

Nelson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Nelson earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2002. He also attended East Carolina University. As of his 2019 campaign, he served as state president of the Progressive Caucus of the North Carolina Democratic Party.

Elections

2019

See also: City elections in Greenville, North Carolina (2019)

General election

General election for Greenville City Council Ward 3

Incumbent Will Bell defeated Dave Nelson in the general election for Greenville City Council Ward 3 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Will Bell (Nonpartisan)	66.2	1,057
		Dave Nelson (Nonpartisan)	33.3	532
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	7

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,596 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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.

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Dave Nelson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Nelson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Dave Nelson is a 17-year resident of Greenville who moved here to pursue graduate study at East Carolina University. His wife is a member of the faculty here. Their two children were educated in the Pitt County Schools. Their daughter earned an MSW degree at ECU. They have lived in the same house in District 3 throughout their time in Greenville. Dave has worked at the Pitt-Greenville Airport for 13 years. Dave has always participated in community activities such as disaster relief and search and rescue. While he always voted, he only became involved in political activities in the 2016 presidential elections. Since then, he has remained engaged and has sought to advance a progressive political movement. He is active at the state level and is working to recruit and train candidates for the 2020 contests.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I want to make Greenville a city that works for all its residents and not just its investors.
• We're all in this together.
• Dave for District 3

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Smart growth, forming a transit system that works for students and citizens, reforming emergency services.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Municipal government is direct government. It effects the day to day and personal impact of governance; where and how we live on the most intimate level. Jobs, not the economy. Our home, not our state. Our safety, not the crime rate. Our family, not the larger society.

It is the level of government most tied to the residents. It necessitates knowledge of the district, the city, and the people. It necessitates caring and vision for all, and the strength to act for their benefit.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

A man whose name I do not know - Craftsman: I half remember seeing such a craftsman at work carving wood with hand tools lovingly preserved from an earlier time. I would like to, one day, be so good at something that the thing I'm good at is remembered even when I am not.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Integrity, dedication, perseverance. I'm willing and able to do the research on policy to make reasoned decisions.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Guide the direction of the city, and be the voice of the residents in the choices made.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would most like to see a city that is more compassionate and kind, with less fear and desperation.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Worked in distribution management for a major US newspaper for 12 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Nothing by Chance, by Richard Bach

It's the story of a bold adventure in freedom where a group of friends in the sixties relieved the life of the barnstormers of the twenties flying from town to town offering the gift of flight. It is a study of obstacles and solutions, responsibility and freedom wrapped in the nostalgia for history and the magic of flight.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I'm satisfied with me.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

We all face struggles and challenges, we all need help from time to time. We need to remember that and how, with others, those obstacles are overcome.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The citizen's voice is heard.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

History of service and dedication to principles are the foundation skills. That is far and away more significant than political or government experience.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Fiscal and legal experience may facilitate the effectiveness, as would a talent for interpersonal skills, but the fundamental requirements are the abilities to envision the effects of policy into the future and appreciate the consequences of the choices we decide.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2019 Elections

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