State Sen. Ellie Kinnaird announced today she is running.
As recently as yesterday, the six-term senator, a Carrboro Democrat, had been coy about whether she planned to run for re-election, saying she had until February to decide, Lynn Bonner reports.
But potential successors had been announcing their interest in the seat, including Orange County commissioners Moses Carey and Mike Nelson, and Carrboro Alderman John Herrera.
Herrera said he will honor his promise and drop out of the race since Kinnaird has decided to run again.
Carey said he's still in.
"The fact that she's changed her mind doesn't mean I'm going to change mine," he said.
Kinnaird had discussed her retirement with potential candidates, but made it known she wanted a woman to run to replace her.
Kinnaird's campaign sent an announcement Tuesday saying that she wanted to work for affordable health insurance for everyone, focused economic development efforts in needy areas, and a ban on executing the mentally ill.
Update: Nelson said he's also out of the race.
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Re: Kinnaird will run after all
Some of us in the district were disappointed to hear this news, especially as Sen. Kinnaird played coy for so long (as late as Monday!). She has been much less than effective in getting progressive bills passed, and new leadership in that seat would be welcome. Herrera and Nelson suspended their campaigns out of respect for her, which makes them bigger men than me, after all these games she's lost my respect.
Carey will do well in N. Orange but will pay for his vote in 2001 to send 'wealthy' So. Orange garbage (he lives in Meadowmont, btw) to poor communities like Person Co. Kinnaird will win handily and we'll have to wait another two years for the change we need now.
I for one was fully behind Mike Nelson. His dropping out means much more than Herrera's as he was way ahead in support, and Kinnaird's delaying cost him the most. His gracious response to all this will win him many a vote in 2010. (Read it here: http://electmikenelson.blogspot.com/)