Joel Ford
Joel Ford (Democratic Party) was a member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing District 38. Ford assumed office in 2013. Ford left office on December 31, 2018.
Ford (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the North Carolina State Senate to represent District 38. Ford lost in the Democratic primary on May 8, 2018.
Ford was a Democratic candidate for mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. Ford was defeated in the primary election on September 12, 2017. Click here to read more about the mayoral race, and click here to read Ford's response to Ballotpedia's 2017 municipal candidate survey.
Biography
Ford was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and grew up in Belmont, North Carolina. He received a bachelor's degree in business administration from North Carolina A&T University in 1994 and graduated from the Institute of Political Leadership in 2009. When he served in the state Senate, his professional experience included working as vice president of community development for Cardinal Innovations Healthcare. At the time of his 2017 run for mayor, Ford and his wife Deborah had one child.[1]
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| North Carolina committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Appropriations on Department of Transportation |
| • Commerce and Insurance |
| • Finance |
| • Rules and Operations of the Senate |
| • Transportation |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Ford served on the following committees:
| North Carolina committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources |
| • Appropriations on Department of Transportation |
| • Appropriations/Base Budget |
| • Commerce |
| • Finance |
| • Information Technology |
| • Insurance |
| • Rules and Operations of the Senate |
| • Transportation |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Ford served on the following committees:
| North Carolina committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources |
| • Appropriations on Department of Transportation |
| • Appropriations/Base Budget |
| • Finance |
| • Insurance |
| • Transportation |
Elections
2018
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 38
Mujtaba Mohammed defeated Richard Rivette in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 38 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mujtaba Mohammed (D) | 81.7 | 53,563 |
 | Richard Rivette (R) | 18.3 | 11,972 | |
| Total votes: 65,535 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 38
Mujtaba Mohammed defeated incumbent Joel Ford, Roderick Davis, and Tim Wallis in the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 38 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mujtaba Mohammed | 51.9 | 6,899 |
 | Joel Ford | 40.7 | 5,408 | |
 | Roderick Davis | 4.8 | 631 | |
 | Tim Wallis | 2.6 | 346 | |
| Total votes: 13,284 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 38
Richard Rivette advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 38 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Richard Rivette |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2017
The city of Charlotte, North Carolina, held elections for mayor and city council on November 7, 2017. A primary was held on September 12, 2017. A primary runoff was held on October 10, 2017, for the district 5 race. A candidate needed to receive over 40% of the vote in order to avoid a runoff election. All 11 seats on the city council were up for election. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was July 21, 2017.
Vi Lyles defeated incumbent Jennifer Roberts, Joel Ford, Constance Johnson, and Lucille Puckett in the Mayor of Charlotte Democratic primary election.[2]
| Mayor of Charlotte, Democratic Primary Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Vi Lyles |
46.13% | 15,805 |
| Jennifer Roberts Incumbent | 36.23% | 12,412 |
| Joel Ford | 15.95% | 5,466 |
| Constance Johnson | 0.91% | 311 |
| Lucille Puckett | 0.78% | 268 |
| Total Votes | 34,262 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official Primary Election Results," accessed September 18, 2017 | ||
2016
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016.[3] The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.[4]
Incumbent Joel Ford defeated Richard Rivette in the North Carolina State Senate District 38 general election.[5][6]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 38 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Joel Ford Incumbent |
79.06% | 67,059 | |
| Republican | Richard Rivette | 20.94% | 17,764 | |
| Total Votes | 84,823 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections | ||||
Incumbent Joel Ford defeated Roderick Davis in the North Carolina State Senate District 38 Democratic primary.[7][8]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 38 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Joel Ford Incumbent |
52.10% | 11,619 | |
| Democratic | Roderick Davis | 47.90% | 10,682 | |
| Total Votes | 22,301 | |||
Richard Rivette ran unopposed in the North Carolina State Senate District 38 Republican primary.[9][10]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 38 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Richard Rivette (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 28, 2014. Incumbent Joel Ford was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Richard Rivette was unopposed in the Republican primary. Ford defeated Rivette in the general election.[11][12][13][14]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joel Ford Incumbent |
79.7% | 35,366 | |
| Republican | Richard Rivette | 20.3% | 9,003 | |
| Total Votes | 44,369 | |||
2012
Ford ran in the 2012 election for North Carolina State Senate District 38. He defeated Jamison Lawson in the Democratic primary on May 8 and defeated Richard Rivette (R) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[15][16][17]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joel Ford |
80.2% | 65,715 | |
| Republican | Richard Rivette | 19.8% | 16,214 | |
| Total Votes | 81,929 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Joel Ford |
52.2% | 7,877 |
| Charlie Dannelly (dropped out but on ballot) | 30.3% | 4,569 |
| Jamison Lawson | 17.6% | 2,658 |
| Total Votes | 15,104 | |
Campaign themes
2017
Ford participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates.[18] The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Improving the economy and jobs for citizens that are most in need and hardest to serve.[19] | ” |
| —Joel Ford (July 31, 2017)[20] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.
| Issue importance ranking | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking |
Issue | Candidate's ranking |
Issue |
| K-12 education | Civil rights | ||
| Crime reduction/prevention | Public pensions/retirement funds | ||
| Transportation | Environment | ||
| Housing | City services (trash, utilities, etc.) | ||
| Homelessness | Government transparency | ||
| Unemployment | Recreational opportunities | ||
Nationwide municipal issues
The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Very important | |
| Federal | |
| Increased economic opportunities | |
| Focusing on small business development | |
| Our city's willingness to take on tough issues. | |
| More collaboration and partnerships with other local government agencies. |
Additional themes
Ford's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[21]
Affordable housing
"Senator Ford will work to build and allocate more housing units for affordable housing needs. Through public-private funding and development projects, the needs of our community can be met quickly."
Public safety
"Safe neighborhoods are a top priority for Senator Ford. The ability to go to and from work, school, and the grocery store shouldn’t be jeopardized by violent crimes. Working to improve the relationship between law enforcement and the community is key to keeping families and communities safe and successful."
Transportation and infrastructure
"The ability to get around the city of Charlotte is not a right reserved for the upper class. One of the first steps to tackling inequality is transportation— getting food from grocery stores, to and from work, and access to public libraries and parks. By investing in high-quality and accessible transportation, Charlotte can help reduce barriers to employment, nutrition, and public resources."
Economic mobility
"The UC Berkeley/Harvard study that revealed Charlotte was the worst city for African-Americans to rise from poverty was a punch to the gut for citizens who trusted city leadership when they promised to focus on issues that affect ALL Charlotteans. Economic mobility is the core of the American Dream. Hard working families and millennials shouldn’t see their income drained by high rents. Instead, they should see their incomes steadily increase while the city experiences unprecedented growth."
Education
"No parent should have to send their children to failing public schools. A thoughtful, pragmatic relationship between the community, city, and Charlotte public schools is needed to develop a bold new education plan and real leadership is needed at the top to execute the vision."
2014
Ford's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[22]
| Click [show] on the right to see Ford's 2014 campaign themes. |
|---|
|
Economic Development/Jobs
Education
Transportation
|
Endorsements
2017
The table below shows endorsements from local and national groups for the 2017 Charlotte mayoral Democratic primary.
| Candidate endorsements for Democratic primary | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Jennifer Roberts | Vi Lyles | Joel Ford |
| Black Political Caucus[23] |  |
||
| Human Rights Campaign[24] | |
||
| Democracy for America[25] | |
||
| Charlotte Fire Fighters Association[26] | | ||
| The Charlotte Post[27] | |
||
| MeckPAC[28] | |
||
| Equality NC[29] | |
||
| Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition[30] | | ||
| New South Progressives[31] | |
||
| Sierra Club[32] | |
||
| Southern Piedmont Central Labor Council[33] | |
||
| Unite Here Local 23 North Carolina Chapter[34] | |
||
| The Charlotte Observer[35] | |
||
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of North Carolina scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2018
In 2018, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 10 through July 4.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environment and conservation issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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|
In 2017, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 11 through June 30. Before the legislature adjourned its regular scheduled session, the legislature scheduled the following additional session dates: August 3, August 18 to August 25, August 28 to August 31, and October 4 to October 17.
|
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2016, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from April 25 through July 1.
|
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 14 through September 30.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the General Assembly of North Carolina will be in session from May 14 through a date to be determined by the legislature.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 9 to July 26.
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Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Joel + Ford + North + Carolina + Senate"
- All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.
See also
- Municipal elections in Charlotte, North Carolina (2017)
- North Carolina State Senate
- Senate Committees
- General Assembly of North Carolina
- Joint Committees
- North Carolina state legislative districts
External links
- Official campaign website
- City of Charlotte, "Mayor"
- Profile from Open States
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Joel Ford on Facebook
- Campaign contributions via OpenSecrets
Footnotes
- ↑ Joel Ford campaign website, accessed August 1, 2017
- ↑ Mecklenburg County Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed July 23, 2017
- ↑ The primary for U.S. congressional elections was rescheduled to June 7, 2016, following legal challenges to North Carolina's district maps. State races were unaffected.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 Candidate Filing," archived January 19, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Listing," accessed August 23, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 General Election results lookup," accessd December 21, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Listing," accessed January 4, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "03/15/2016 Official primary results - Statewide," March 15, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Listing," accessed January 4, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "03/15/2016 Official primary results - Statewide," March 15, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Primary Candidate List Grouped by Contest," accessed March 7, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "General Election Candidate List Grouped by Contest," accessed August 12, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "05/06/2014 Official Primary Election Results - Statewide," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results - Statewide," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina Board of Elections, "Candidate lists," accessed March 9, 2012
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Primary Results, 2012," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ Charlotte Observer, "N.C. Legislature - Mecklenburg: Earle wins 9th term; Aneralla, Tarte battling," May 9, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2017, "Joel Ford's Responses," July 31, 2017
- ↑ Joel Ford campaign website, "Issues," accessed September 11, 2017
- ↑ votejoelford.com, "Official campaign website," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ Charlotte Observer, "Black Political Caucus has endorsed a mayoral candidate. How will it shape the primary?" May 22, 2017
- ↑ Charlotte Observer, "LGBT groups make their picks for Charlotte mayor, council," August 23, 2017
- ↑ Democracy for America, "Our Candidates," accessed September 7, 2017
- ↑ Joel Ford campaign website, "Charlotte Firefighters Endorse Joel Ford for Mayor," August 29, 2017
- ↑ The Charlotte Post, "The Post endorses Vi Lyles in Democratic mayoral primary," August 31, 2017
- ↑ MeckPAC,"2017 Charlotte Mayoral & City Council Endorsements," August 23, 2017
- ↑ Equality NC, "LGBT Leaders Announce Charlotte Candidate Endorsements," accessed September 7, 2017
- ↑ REBIC, "REBIC Announces Endorsements for Charlotte City Council Primary," August 8, 2017
- ↑ New South Progressives, "NSP Endorsements," accessed September 7, 2017
- ↑ Sierra Club, "Sierra Club Endorses Jennifer Roberts for Mayor of Charlotte," accessed September 7, 2017
- ↑ Southern Piedmont Central Labor Council, "September Primary Endorsements Announced," August 22, 2017
- ↑ Jennifer Roberts campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed September 7, 2017
- ↑ Charlotte Observer, "Who we like in the Charlotte mayor’s race, and why," August 23, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charlie Dannelly (D) |
North Carolina State Senate District 38 2013–2018 |
Succeeded by Mujtaba Mohammed (D) |
 |
State of North Carolina Raleigh (capital) |
|---|---|
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