Mecklenburg candidate pauses campaign to mourn family member killed in Detroit stabbing
UPDATE: Michael Jackson-Bolanos, 28, was arrested Dec. 13 and charged with murder, home invasion and lying to police in the death of Samantha Woll, the Associated Press reported. He pleaded not guilty, and police reiterated they do not believe Woll’s killing was a hate crime.
A Mecklenburg County candidate is temporarily stepping off the campaign trail to mourn the loss of her relative in a homicide that’s gained national attention.
Lisa Jewel, a Democrat running to represent northern Mecklenburg County in the North Carolina House, “is stepping away from her campaign activities this week,” her campaign announced on social media Sunday.
Jewel is a cousin of Samantha Woll, according to the post, who was found stabbed to death outside her Detroit home Saturday.
Woll was president of the Issac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit and also involved in statewide politics in Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reported. Her death has gained national attention amid concerns over rising antisemitism in the wake of the latest Israel-Hamas war, but Detroit Police said her killing does not appear to have been a hate crime.
The Jewel campaign’s post praised Woll as “an impassioned community leader.”
“She spread light wherever she went and was loved by so many,” the post said.
More than 1,000 mourners attended Woll’s funeral in Michigan on Sunday, the Free Press reported.
Jewel will return to her campaign next week, Democratic strategist Dan McCorkle confirmed.
She’s running to represent District 98 in the state House, which includes Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville. The district is currently represented by John Bradford, who is running for state treasurer in 2024. Current Huntersville Mayor Melinda Bales is running as a Republican in the district.
Want more coverage of Charlotte-area government and politics? Subscribe here for free to the Observer’s weekly CLT Politics newsletter and never miss a story
This story was originally published October 23, 2023 at 3:17 PM.
