Woodard and Coffey endorse Clinkscale

This morning, Luther Falls convened a formal press conference to announce that he would endorse neither candidate for District 1. See blog post here

Fellow District 1 candidate Charles Coffey and at-large candidate Greg Woodard — both similarly eliminated in the primary — were there also. At the urging of several community leaders, including NC Rep. Earl Jones, they joined Falls, expecting to put forward a united front in support of Clinkscale.
"When he said he wasn’t going to endorse anyone, that caught me and the rest of the community leaders off guard,” Woodard told me in a phone conversation following the press conference. “We were shocked.”

He added: “I just got through talking to Earl Jones and some of the church leaders. He said, ‘Go ahead and share your statement.’”

Here’s what Woodard said about his support for Clinkscale: “I think we need the most professional and best-qualified person to work with the community leaders and not cause strife and pit one group against another…. I feel that we gave [incumbent] Dianne [Bellamy-Small] four years to try to improve our community and it’s time to let someone else have a chance.”

I called Coffey at Industries of the Blind, and he echoed Woodard’s sentiments.

“I just feel [Clinkscale] would be the better choice of the two,” he said. “I think that she’ll be able to work with the other council members better than Dianne would. Dianne takes a one-person approach and that’s not working.”

Here’s Woodard’s formal statement:

“In the past two week, I have received numerous phone calls from community leaders and business owners in District 1 (black and white). The topic of conversation was the state of our community and how displeased everyone is with the current representative. We all agreed this community needs a representative that will represent all the people, be it black, white, Hispanic, whatever the race. We all bleed, we all cry, we all face problems, we all live here and we all die here. But more important we all want the same thing: a safe place to live, enjoy life and grow old.

“They all talked about Tonya Clinkscale. How Tonya presents herself as a professional businesswoman; in dress, mannerisms, communication and understanding between people with different points of view. I kept hearing one word: Professional. She acts and carries herself in a professional manner.

“Throughout this campaign, I have watched her. She has shown a willingness to work with community leader and individuals in District 1. After talking with Tonya myself, I believe Tonya is attuned to the community needs, desires and wants, and therefore is the right person to represent District 1.”