UPDATE 2: Robbie Perkins has officially filed.
"You have all kinds of feeling about things like that, but the mayor of the city of Greensboro is a very prestigious job and a lot of people would like the office," Perkins said when asked how it feels to be running against a longtime political ally. "I can’t really assess this particular filing. I do know that our campaign is up, we’re rolling and we're going to run hard between now and the primary, and hopefully now and election day."
UPDATE: Daniel McKelvey Jr., campaign manager for District 1 candidate Donnell Hardy, says Bellamy-Small's mayoral candidacy is "news to all of us." Bellamy-Small is the current occupant of the District 1 seat. The Hardy campaign was holding a press conference outside of the Old County Courthouse, and McKelvey said they saw Bellamy-Small go inside but assumed she was filing for the District 1 seat.
ORIGINAL POST: Dianne Bellamy-Small, a Greensboro City Council member who has publicly battled her conservative counterparts on the board, has filed to run for mayor. She currently represents District 1 in the southeast quadrant of the city.
Bellamy-Small is known as a maverick who charts her own course and surprises during the filing period in Guilford County politics are not uncommon. Bellamy-Small’s decision to enter the race is especially stunning considering that Robbie Perkins, a close ally on council, has made his intentions to run for mayor known for at least a year.
Bellamy-Small and Perkins frequently vote together, confer with each other during meetings and hold many of the same policy position. Both strongly oppose the reopening of the White Street Landfill and expressed disappointment with a series of events that led to the recent resignation of City Attorney J. Rita Danish. They would likely appeal to the same constituency and split each other’s vote.
“You’ve caught me speechless on this one,” Perkins said, when told about Bellamy-Small’s decision. “I’m going to have to call her and ask her: ‘What are you doing?’ I don’t even think the best prognosticator in the city could have predicted this one.”
Perkins said that he and Bellamy-Small were together on Friday for the grand opening of a new student apartment complex in College Hill, and she did not mention anything to him about running for mayor.
Bellamy-Small could not be reached for comment.
“My goal is to be mayor of this city and sell this community like no one has sold it in a long time, and to create jobs and tax base,” Perkins said. “All I know I know is that I’m running for mayor. Whoever wants to compete can file between now and Aug. 12.”
Tom Phillips, a former member of council who is an avowed conservative, filed this morning. Mayor Bill Knight, who is part of the current council’s ruling conservative faction, has also said he plans to seek reelection.
Other candidates who have officially declared since filing opened at noon today include Wayne Abraham and Cyndy Hayworth for at large, Donnell "DJ" Hardy for District 1 and Nancy Hoffmann for District 4.
6 comments:
I think this is great, I wouldn't be surprised if this race doesn't go National with coverage.
I can't make out the TDBS strategy. She obviously can't win, but she sure can keep Perkins from winning.
Who benefits? Would love to see someone break it down.
Here is who benefits. Tdbs drops out and runs in district race with promises from the establishment for campaign money. Also this will be the first time we might see the donations to tdbs cause new reporting threshold is $1,000
Bellamy-Small switches from mayor to District 1 on Aug. 12. Today, she has taken control of the narrative and stole DJ Hardy's thunder. If Bellamy-Small had filed for District 1 or not filed at all today, the story would be that a young Turk is challenging an established incumbent, similar to Nancy Hoffmann and Tony Collins seeking to unseat Mary Rakestraw in District 4. Also, with Bellamy-Small seemingly out of the district race, a lot of people will file for what looks like an open seat. With a large field, the challengers split each other's vote rather than allow Hardy to build a reputation as a viable and attractive alternative.
I don't think she wants or needs the campaign cash to get her message to the voters. An anonymous contact on Twitter holds that she is going to push Robbie to run to the left, and then drop out before the primary after he boxes himself in by having his position statements documented.
I don't think she will move back to D1 but will find someone to run in D1 against Hardy. I do feel she will drop out.
There r some in AA who may view Hardy as Kee-like and with the direction council has been heading that is not viewed as a good thing.
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