After 8 years, Warren Turner is ousted in District 3

CITY COUNCIL PRIMARY

LaWana Mayfield could become city's first openly gay council member.

By Steve Harrison, Jim Morrill and April Bethea
Staff Writers

Posted: Wednesday, Sep. 14, 2011

Charlotte City Council member Warren Turner, whose most recent term was marred by accusations of sexual harassment, lost the District 3 Democratic primary Tuesday to LaWana Mayfield, a community organizer.

The loss ends Turner's eight-year run on council.

Mayfield will face Republican Ed Toney in November's general election. Mayfield begins with an advantage because 60 percent of registered voters in the district are Democrats.

If she wins, Mayfield would become the city's first openly gay council member. Mayfield downplayed her sexual orientation Tuesday, saying the historic part of the night is that "the community came out and they voted."

She said she has worked as an activist in the LGBT community, but also outside of it.

"I am a servant of the community," Mayfield said.

Last year, a city investigation found that Turner had made sexually inappropriate comments to at least five female staff members. The City Council declined to censure him, but a subsequent investigation by the N.C. Department of Correction found that Turner, who worked as a probation officer, missed numerous meetings with probationers. He was fired.

Mayfield also defeated Svend Deal, an attorney who is also an owner of Sir Edmond Halley's restaurant.

Mayfield said Turner hadn't done enough for the west Charlotte district.

Late last week, a Raleigh-based group called Common Sense Matters sent district voters glossy fliers describing what it called "Warren Turner's Baggage." It cited past allegations of what it called Turner's inappropriate behavior.

Mayfield said Tuesday night that she wasn't involved in the flier, and that she hoped someone would investigate its origins.

"I don't believe in being negative," she said.

Turner, reacting to the fliers on Monday, called them slanderous.

"We're going to be filing a slander lawsuit," he told the Observer, declining to say against whom. "It was slanderous and it was lies."

The fact that the fliers identified the senders is a result of legislation in reaction to last year's Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United campaign finance case, according to state elections official Kim Strach.

Groups had to report such spending in legislative races but not municipal races. Now they do.

Turner declined to comment Tuesday night about Mayfield's win.

Mayfield has worked for Democracy North Carolina, Grassroots Leadership, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups.

She raised more than $31,000, an unusually large amount for a challenger in a district primary election. Turner raised only $10,850.

Of the $9,500 Mayfield raised since August, 60 percent came from out-of-state donors as far as California.

Mayfield spent $17,449 on mailers through the Campaign Workshop. The Washington-based company often advises gay clients.

While the late campaign mailer resurrected Turner's personal issues, some Mayfield supporters said that wasn't an issue.

Pecolia Price, a 55-year old Democrat from the Heather Glen neighborhood, said she voted for Mayfield after being impressed by the constant information she received about her campaign.

Price said she didn't feel anything "negative" toward Turner.

"But I just decided to see new blood," she said.

Stanley Faulkner, 40, lives in the Summerville neighborhood and voted for Mayfield because he didn't think Turner had done enough to reach his neighborhood. Faulkner said he liked that Mayfield was accessible during the campaign.

"We had a strong campaign of going door-to-door," Mayfield said.

District 3 covers much of west Charlotte and fast-growing areas of southwest Charlotte in Steele Creek.

Turner is a member of the 8-3 Democratic council majority. But he was often an independent voice, sometimes siding with the Republican minority.

District 5 race

In District 5, in east Charlotte, businessman John Autry narrowly defeated community activist Darrell Bonapart in the Democratic primary. Alex Hartley Jr. finished a distant third.

Autry, who finished with 49 percent of the vote, had the endorsement of current District 5 representative Nancy Carter, a Democrat, who is stepping down. Bonapart, who finished with 44 percent, has tried the previous times to win a City Council seat.

Autry will face Republican Dennis Peterson in the general election.

District 2 race

Tuesday's primary re-elected Democrat James "Smuggie" Mitchell to his District 2 seat, with more than 70 percent of the vote. He defeated three challengers, including his ex-wife, Vivian Mitchell, and he faces no opposition in the general election.

District 7 race

In District 7, Republican Warren Cooksey easily won re-election, with 60 percent over Jay Privette.

Cooksey faces no opposition in the general election.

At-large race

In the Democratic primary for City Council at-large, incumbents Patrick Cannon and David Howard advanced, along with Claire Fallon and Beth Pickering. Jarrisha Abraham Rorie didn't finish in the top five.

They will face four Republicans - Christopher Haley, Mohamed Moustafa, Edwin Peacock and Curtis Watkins - and Libertarian candidate Alexander Buchnich in November for four at-large seats.

Cannon, the mayor pro tem, received the most votes.

Low turnout

Turnout for Tuesday's election was low, with less than 3 percent of registered voters participating.

At South Mecklenburg High School, for instance, only seven people had voted as of 1:30 p.m. There are roughly 1,600 registered Democrats and nonaffiliated voters who could have voted in the precinct.