Diggs kicks off campaign for Northeast Ward seat on city council

Brenda Diggs addresses volunteers at the Mazie Woodruff Center.

Brenda Diggs kicked off her campaign for the Northeast Ward seat on Winston-Salem City Council with about 50 supporters at the Mazie Woodruff Center.

Everyone has been asking why she is running, Diggs said.

"Everything I've done it's not been done for me," said Diggs, a retired bank executive, who has serves on the city's police retirement commission and has chaired United Way campaigns. "It's been because I believe I was given power, I was given ability, I was given a mind to do something that enriches the life of someone else. And I will tell you that journey is not an easy journey. When you decide that you will be a servant, just the 'name' servant' can invoke pride in some, fear in some, envy in some and, yes, anger. But for me, that is my life.

"So it's a simple answer I give to the question of why are you running, why are you running now?" the candidate continued. "I want to serve all of the people of the Northeast Ward. I want to be the voice for those who don't necessarily feel today they have a voice to represent them."

Diggs is challenging longtime incumbent Vivian Burke in the Democratic primary, along with Jemmise Bowen. The primary winner will meet Republican Michael Owens in the general election for the heavily Democratic ward.

Diggs paid homage to Mazie Woodruff, a former county commissioner, whose life the candidate said paralleled and influenced her own. Woodruff is the namesake of the Forsyth Tech satellite campus in northeast Winston-Salem, where the campaign event was held.

"She was an absolute dynamic servant leader in this community," Diggs said of Woodruff. "She had a very gracious, warm smile. She always went around the city doing what she could do help someone else. And the beautiful thing about her is that she never, ever — I don't remember ever reading or hearing about her asking anything for herself. Neither do I remember her saying, 'Look at what I've done. Look at me. Pat me on the back.'"

Diggs poses with her campaign volunteers.

Diggs' event drew one sitting council member: Molly Leight, who represents the South Ward.

"I do have to acknowledge that there is someone who is currently sitting on the city council with me today, and I consider that an absolute privilege," Diggs said. "Any time someone thinks enough of you to come out and be a part of what you're doing, that is a great thing."