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Municipal elections in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (2016)
2020 →
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| 2016 Winston-Salem elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: December 21, 2015 & August 10, 2016 |
| Primary election: March 15, 2016 General election: November 8, 2016 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor and city council |
| Total seats up: 9 |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2016 |
A general election for the mayor's office and all eight city council seats in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, took place on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 15, 2016, in the city council's Northeast, Northwest, and South wards. A special primary election was held in the South Ward on June 7, 2016, after a recount revealed primary ballot errors discussed here. The 2016 election was the first even-year election for the city's mayor and city council, following a 2011 state law moving municipal elections from odd years. Mayor Allen Joines (D) supported the change, citing $150,000 per year in savings and higher turnout due to state and federal elections.[1][2][3][4] Learn more about the lack of opposition for Mayor Allen Joines (D) and the issues in the city council primaries here.
The filing deadline for Democratic and Republican candidates interested in Winston-Salem's municipal elections was December 21, 2015. The deadline for unaffiliated and write-in candidates was August 10, 2016. The voter registration deadline in the primary election was February 19, 2016, while the registration deadline for the general election was October 14, 2016.[5]
Elections
General election
Candidate list
Mayor
- ☑ Allen Joines
(i)
City Council
East Ward
- ☑ Derwin Montgomery (i)
North Ward
- ☑ Denise Adams (i)
Northeast Ward
- ☑ Vivian Burke (i)
Northwest Ward
- ☑ Jeff MacIntosh (i)
- ☐ Eric Henderson
Southeast Ward
- ☑ James Taylor Jr. (i)
South Ward
Southwest Ward
- ☑ Dan Besse (i)
West Ward
- ☑ Robert Clark (i)
Results
| Winston-Salem City Council Northwest Ward, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Jeff MacIntosh Incumbent |
62.30% | 9,001 | |
| Republican | Eric Henderson | 37.56% | 5,427 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.14% | 20 | ||
| Total Votes (14 of 15 precincts reporting) | 14,448 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 General Election Unofficial Results," November 8, 2016 | ||||
| Winston-Salem City Council South Ward, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | John Larson |
69.18% | 9,707 | |
| Republican | Michael Tyler | 30.55% | 4,287 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.26% | 37 | ||
| Total Votes | 14,031 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 General Election Unofficial Results," November 8, 2016 | ||||
Primary election
Candidate list
City Council
Northeast Ward
- ☑ Vivian Burke (i)
- ☐ Keith King
Northwest Ward
South Ward
Council wards
Below is a map of Winston-Salem's city council wards. There are eight wards on the council, and each ward elects its own representative to the council. The mayor is elected at-large. This map features the mayor and city council members in office prior to the 2016 election.
Issues
Recount and new election in South Ward
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The South Ward Democratic primary on March 15, 2016, finished with Carolyn Highsmith ahead of John Larson by six votes. A candidate can demand a recount if the difference between the votes for that candidate and the votes of the winning candidate is less than 1 percent of the total votes cast in a nonstatewide race. The demand for a recount must be in writing and must be received by the state board of elections by noon on the Wednesday after the final vote count by county officials. In addition, either the county or state board of elections may order a discretionary recount.[6][7]
The Forsyth County Board of Elections concluded its canvass on March 24, 2016, with Highsmith's lead expanding from four votes to six votes based on provisional ballots. Following the canvass, Larson announced on his campaign's Facebook page that he would request a recount by county elections officials.[8] Highsmith agreed with the need for a recount, telling Time Warner Cable News that "people who went to vote did not get to vote."[9] Larson officially filed his request for a recount with the county on March 29, 2016. He also filed a protest with county officials asking for a new election citing disenfranchisement for South Ward voters who were given incorrect ballots.[10] The final recount revealed that 31 voters received ballots for other ward districts and 12 ineligible votes were submitted. On April 6, 2016, the North Carolina State Board of Elections ordered a new election for the South Ward that was held on June 7, 2016. Larson defeated Highsmith in the special primary election.[11]
Uncontested mayoral race
- See also: Allen Joines' past mayoral races
Mayor Allen Joines (D) faced no opposition in his 2016 bid for re-election. Joines has faced little opposition at the ballot box since his election in 2001. He defeated Ann Wagoner by 71.2 percent in the 2001 Democratic primary, and he defeated Jack Cavanaugh (R) by 56.8 percentage points later that year to take the mayor's office. He was unopposed in the primary and general election during his re-election campaigns of 2005 and 2009. Joines defeated Gardenia Henley by 76.8 percent in the 2013 Democratic primary before defeating James Lee Knox (R) by 69.2 percent in the general election, winning a fourth term.
The Winston-Salem Journal offered theories on why Joines did not face opposition in 2009. Despite the impacts of a national recession, Joines was not challenged in a year when seven of eight council seats were contested. The 7-1 Democratic majority on the city council was credited as a built-in advantage for Joines. The mayor had the same Democratic majority heading into the 2016 election, though Republicans aimed to flip two seats. Former City Manager Bill Stuart told the paper that the mayor's experience as assistant city manager and his popularity among community groups made it difficult for opponents to find avenues of criticism in prospective campaigns.[12]
Joines became the longest-serving mayor of Winston-Salem in 2014, surpassing Wayne Corpening's 12 years of service from 1977 to 1989. His tenure is not only the longest in the city's history, but it also exceeds the tenures of any mayors for Winston or Salem prior to the cities merging in 1913.[13]
Unaffiliated candidate's effort to challenge Joines
JoAnne Allen announced in December 2015 that she intended to challenge Joines as an unaffiliated candidate for mayor. Allen, a frequent speaker at city council meetings, challenged City Attorney Angela Carmon's interpretation of signature requirements for unaffiliated candidates in January 2016. Carmon sought clarification from Forsyth County election officials regarding a conflict between the city's 25 percent signature threshold and the state's 4 percent signature threshold to appear on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. The county ruled on February 5, 2016, that unaffiliated candidates should follow the state requirement, which would mean collecting 6,037 signatures from city residents rather than 34,000 signatures.[14][15] The filing deadline for unaffiliated and write-in candidates was August 10, 2016.[5]
On July 25, 2016, Allen told the Forsyth County Board of Elections that she was withdrawing her petition and would run as a write-in candidate for mayor. Allen criticized county election officials for invalidating signatures on her original petition, which resulted in validation of approximately 2,500 signatures. Elections director Tim Tsujii told the Winston-Salem Journal that invalidated signatures belonged to residents who were not registered to vote as well as signatories living outside of city limits.[16]
City seizure of property discussed at city council forum
All six candidates in the March 15 primary participated in a city council forum on February 18, 2016. The issue that attracted the most attention was the city's efforts to close down a strip club called Lollipops in the downtown district. City officials pursued legal action and debated seizing the property, arguing that the club was the scene of prostitution, sexual assaults and drug use. Lollipops closed in January 2016 but existed under a grandfather clause after city ordinances changed in 2005 to prohibit downtown strip clubs. Building owner Keith Neely continued to fight the city's confiscation efforts as of February 2016. The Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce supported the city's efforts to redevelop the property as part of a larger development project for the neighboring Benton Convention Center.[17][18]
Northeast Ward incumbent Vivian Burke (D) was the lone candidate at the forum to support seizure of the property. Burke argued that the club's reputation potentially damaged investments made in downtown properties. Keith King (D), Burke's opponent in the primary, suggested that the city could buy the club or seek other mechanisms for closure, but he opposed outright seizure. The other candidates agreed with King that the city had less punitive tools available to deal with the property.[18]
The candidates expressed their views on the best path forward for the city in terms of business and housing development. Burke argued that the downtown district needs more diverse housing options, while King supported more resources for established small businesses rather than national or international businesses. South Ward candidate Carolyn Highsmith (D) highlighted her experience with zoning and suggested that development resources be spread throughout the city. John Larson (D) touted collaboration between businesses and arts organizations along with high-density housing in downtown. Northwest Ward candidates Eric Henderson (R) and Jimmy Hodson (R) argued for lower barriers to entry for businesses and reduced taxes.[18]
About the city
- See also: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina. As of 2010, its population was 229,617.
City government
- See also: Council-manager government
The city of Winston-Salem uses a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[19]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Winston-Salem, North Carolina | ||
|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | North Carolina | |
| Population | 229,617 | 9,535,483 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 132 | 48,622 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 56.6% | 68.7% |
| Black/African American | 34.9% | 21.4% |
| Asian | 2.5% | 2.9% |
| Native American | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Other (single race) | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Multiple | 2.8% | 2.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 15% | 9.4% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 88.2% | 87.8% |
| College graduation rate | 34.5% | 31.3% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $45,750 | $54,602 |
| Persons below poverty level | 20.7% | 14.7% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Winston-Salem North Carolina election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Winston-Salem, North Carolina | North Carolina | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
- City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Forsyth County Board of Elections, 2016 Primary Election Candidate List
- Forsyth County Board of Elections, 2016 General Election Candidate List
Footnotes
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "House OKs school board election bill," May 17, 2011
- ↑ Winston-Salem Chronicle, "W-S City Council races and primaries coming earlier in 2016," October 11, 2015
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "House Bill 523," June 15, 2011
- ↑ Forsyth County Board of Elections, "Election Schedule," accessed February 11, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Forsyth County Board of Elections, "2016 Election Schedule," accessed February 11, 2016
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "§ 163-182.7. Ordering recounts.," accessed March 16, 2016
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "South Ward city council race still up in the air," March 16, 2016
- ↑ Facebook, "John Larson for South Ward," accessed March 27, 2016
- ↑ Time Warner Cable News, "Candidates Call for a Recount in Winston-Salem City Council Race," March 24, 2016
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "South Ward candidate John Larson files election protest in six-vote race," March 31, 2016
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "State orders new election for Democratic nominee in South Ward," April 7, 2016
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "Unopposed Again: Joines appears untouchable despite residents' complaints," July 19, 2009
- ↑ City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, "Winston-Salem Mayors Biographies," accessed March 4, 2016
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "Elections board sides with city on Allen ballot question," February 8, 2016
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "JoAnne Allen seeks run for Winston-Salem mayor," December 22, 2015
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "Allen to run as write-in candidate in mayor's race, accuses elections officials of mishandling of petition signatures," August 2, 2016
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "Lollipops strip club in downtown Winston-Salem closes," January 28, 2016
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Winston-Salem Journal, "Strip club views liven up city council forum," February 18, 2016
- ↑ City of Winston-Salem, "City Manager," accessed October 28, 2014
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