Voters in Raleigh will elect a new mayor and city council members in November.
All eight council seats, including the mayor’s seat, are up for grabs, with all incumbents, with the exception of current Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, seeking another two-year term.
Election day is Tuesday, November 5. Early voting runs from Thursday, October 17 through Saturday, November 2.
To help inform voters across the state, this candidate questionnaire may be republished in local North Carolina publications at no cost. To help enable this reporting, please consider subscribing to The News & Observer.
Name: Corey branch
District/seat: Raleigh City Council, District C
Political party: Democrat
Age as of November 5, 2024: 46
Campaign website: www.coreybranch.com
Current occupation: Associate Director – Kyndryl (Network Engineer)
Education: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
Offices wanted/held: Incumbent municipal council, district C
Include any notable government or community involvement.
* GoTriangle – Board of Directors (2019-present)
* Committee on Transit and Transportation – Member (2015-present), Chair (2017-present)
* Committee on Growth and Natural Resources – Vice-Chair (2022-present)
* Economic Development Committee – Member (2015-2022)
* Lightner Y Achievers – Advisory Board (2017-present)
* ArtSpace – Board of Directors (2017-2023)
* Leadership Triangle – Board of Directors (2017-2021)
* Passage Homes – Board of Directors (2017-2023)
* Evolve mentoring – Board of Directors (2015-2021)
* Expanding Diversity on the Company Board: Earning a Board Seat – Training (2014)
* WakeUp Wake County – Board of Directors (2013-2015)
* Marrkens Development Group – Board of Directors (2012–15), Chairman (2014–15)
*Raleigh Transit Authority – Member (2011-2015)
* Committee to Retain Judge Craig Croom – Treasurer (2004-2015)
*Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. – Leadership at chapter, state, regional and national levels (2001-present)
* Phi Lambda Educational Foundation – Member of the Board of Directors (2006-2008)
In which municipal district do you live? c
What is the most important issue facing Raleigh today and how would you address it?
Economic development, especially through support for small businesses, is a top issue because it plays an important role in public safety.
I plan to review our permitting procedures, explore deploying staff to help businesses navigate City procedures, and increase the participation of minority and Black-owned businesses in providing City services. In addition, I will work to increase the opportunities for young people to develop skills.
By increasing support for small businesses, we can create more job opportunities for youth and young adults, which will help reduce crime and improve public safety.
What is your strategy to increase affordable housing in Raleigh?
During my time on the City Council, we passed and implemented the city’s largest housing bond. We also allocated dedicated funds for housing, approved more than 3,000 affordable units in District C, and sold land at a discounted price to Habitat for Humanity to promote affordable homeownership.
I will continue to support these policies and work to create new policies that increase housing supply. An important point of attention will be streamlining the permitting process to meet the demand for housing more efficiently.
I plan to bring together the Planning and Permitting Departments, the Triangle Apartment Association, and the Home Builders Association in early 2025 to address the ongoing permitting issues. While we have made some progress, delays remain, and I am committed to finding timely solutions.
Should the city be more aggressive in requiring affordable units from developers or partner with nonprofits?
I support continuing to work with nonprofits to produce more affordable units and explore incentives for developers to include affordable units in their projects. We need to ensure that affordable housing is available across the city.
Do you think Raleigh can support concert venues downtown and in Dix Park?
I believe that preserving and supporting the Red Hat Amphitheater downtown is the best option, and I fully support it.
Would you describe Raleigh’s growth as too fast, too slow or just right?
Raleigh’s growth is spot on, considering we are one of the top five fastest growing places in the US. However, we must ensure that all residents have the opportunity to positively participate in this growth in ways that benefit their lives and communities.
Do you think Raleigh is losing too many historic properties? If so, how should this be addressed?
We have lost a number of historic properties for various reasons, and since many of these properties are privately owned, preservation ultimately rests with the owners. The city has been working to save a number of properties, and I look forward to working with the newly formed Preservation Raleigh group to educate the community and find ways to preserve and use historic properties to preserve our past to honor and at the same time help the city move forward.
