Banks-McLaughlin joins crowded Fayetteville mayoral race, citing need for new leadership

Yahoo

10 hours ago

Fayetteville City Council member Courtney Banks-McLaughlin said she was preparing to run for a fourth term representing District 8 when the political tides shifted.
After observing the field of mayoral candidates and evaluating what she called 'a need for change in the city's political environment,' Banks-McLaughlin made the decision to withdraw from her district race and refile for mayor.
The filing period for Fayetteville's nonpartisan mayoral race was from noon July 7 to noon July 18. The primary election is set for Oct. 7, and the general election is Nov. 4.
'I observed those who were running, their strengths, and started thinking about their decision-making,' she said in a phone interview Aug. 7. 'And I really, truly feel that our city needs a change in the political environment.'
Banks-McLaughlin joins a crowded field of 10 candidates, including several of her current City Council colleagues — Council member Mario Benavente, Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Jensen, and incumbent Mayor Mitch Colvin, who also made a surprise filing for a fifth term.
'The mayor just generated a lot of buzz and attention to himself,' Banks-McLaughlin said of Colvin's decision.
But she said her focus isn't on the noise, but on the people.
'My goal is just to stay committed to the community,' she said. 'I'm in this race for the people in the community, the things they want to see take place. I'm here to advocate and fight for them.'
Advocating for progress: Infrastructure, jobs and partnerships
Banks-McLaughlin, who has served three terms on the council, said her campaign platform centers on four key areas: infrastructure, public safety, affordable housing and economic development.
At the heart of her platform is for Fayetteville to help Cumberland County move out of its designation as a 'tier one' economically distressed community.
'That's the whole goal: to be able to move our city and county out of a tier one to a tier two,' she said. 'With new leadership like myself, we can get out of that tier one and move to a two-tier community.'
To do that, she said, Fayetteville must invest in water access, electricity, transportation and other critical infrastructure improvements that would attract high-quality employers and residents alike.
'You have to have the water. You have to have the electricity,' she said. 'We need to make sure that we have that in place.'
Though some of those services are managed at the county level, Banks-McLaughlin emphasized the need for stronger partnerships.
'We still have some communities that are still in need of sewage, connecting to the city,' she said. 'Some of the things I'm speaking of are county responsibilities, but in order to get from a tier one, we have to have some strong collaboration, because all of that affects the city.'
She said economic development also requires higher-quality jobs.
'We always say it's a military town, but just like we have in Raleigh, we need the Triangle Park here in our city,' she said. 'Good-paying salary jobs where people can be able to make it and afford the cost of living here in our community.'
Addressing homelessness and public safety
Banks-McLaughlin said she wants to see the city step up its role in addressing homelessness, particularly by contributing to shelter space and collaborating with the county's larger efforts.
'Where are these people going for shelter? Where are they going to lay their head down to rest at night?' she asked. 'That's where I feel that we can collaborate as far as some beds.'
She said that in the past, she had pushed for the city to help provide resources for the homeless community, such as shelter beds, but failed to gain support.
'It's unfair for veterans who have served ... to have nowhere to go,' she said. 'It's sad to walk downtown and see homeless people roaming around, people living in tents and abandoned areas.'
She also called for continued support for Fayetteville's Office of Community Safety and for programs that connect youth and community members with law enforcement.
Banks-McLaughlin has a personal connection to the issue of public safety: her daughter was a victim of gun violence.
'I think we're somewhat going in the right direction,' she said. 'I think we just need to move a little bit faster.'
She also cited her appointment to the Governor's Crime Commission as evidence of her statewide collaboration and experience shaping public safety policy.
'I've been working with legislators to try to help pass laws to help with the gun violence and the crime that's happening in our community,' she said.
Transparency, communication and the power of representation
Banks-McLaughlin said one of the most important roles of a mayor is to improve communication — not just among elected officials and agencies, but with the community.
'I would love to see us promote what's going on within the city,' she said, citing phone alert systems as possible tools for better engagement. 'That's the way to be transparent and keep people in the know.'
She also said public trust can only be rebuilt when officials explain how decisions are made rather than announcing decisions after the fact.
'We literally have to be honest and tell a story to explain how it got to that end,' she said. 'We want to build that trust with our community, and we've got to be honest about what's taking place.'
That trust, she said, starts with representation. If elected, Banks-McLaughlin would be the first female mayor of Fayetteville in decades.
'Women lead on an everyday basis,' she said. 'You don't see it as much in the political arena, but that's embedded in me. Women bring more compassion to the table versus men.'
From District 8 to citywide
Banks-McLaughlin originally filed to run for re-election in her district, but said she decided to step aside and pursue the mayoral seat after seeing who else had filed.
'I just responded to the field,' she said. 'I started thinking about their decision-making and knew our city needed something different.'
She said she wouldn't have made the switch unless she had confidence in the people stepping up to run in her place, particularly her handpicked replacement for District 8, Rodney Garvin. The other candidates for District 8 are Mahmoud A. (Travis) Hamed, Shaun McMillan and Robbie Poole.
'I wouldn't have it no other way,' she said. 'The community, those who voted for me, they trust my judgment. I wanted to ensure that me running for mayor didn't mean leaving them without the right person.'
When asked how it feels to run against her fellow council members, Banks-McLaughlin said simply: 'We all have different styles of leadership. May the best person win.'
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Courtney Banks-McLaughlin running for mayor of Fayetteville in 2025
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