Early Wake County returns show Kushner, Singh leading at-large Democratic race

Christine Kushner and Mona Singh emerged as the early leaders in Wake County’s March 3 Democratic primary for two newly created at-large seats, with preliminary North Carolina State Board of Elections totals published by Enlace Latino NC showing Kushner at 68,562 votes (29.61%) and Singh at 50,604 votes (21.86%).

The NCSBE preliminary tabulation published by Enlace Latino NC placed Raleigh City Council member Jonathan Lambert-Melton third with 18.01 percent, while Kimberly McGhee and Steve S. Rao each logged roughly 11 percent. Robert Mitchener Jr. posted 4.98 percent and Marguerite Creel 3.73 percent in the same preliminary release. Those totals are explicitly labeled preliminary and await certification by the State Board of Elections.

Returns were still streaming from across Wake County’s 216 precincts when the early leaders took shape. Hoodline, citing The News & Observer, reported that “Officials said they expected a clearer picture later in the evening as more precincts finished reporting their totals.” Local election officials also anticipated “more complete totals and final unofficial results by around midnight on March 3, with formal certification to follow in the days and weeks after.”

The two at-large seats increase the Wake County Board of Commissioners from seven to nine members. Under the rules governing this contest, the top vote-getter among the two winners will serve a four-year term and the runner-up will serve a two-year term, a structure outlined in local party listings and election coverage of the race.

If Kushner and Singh hold their positions through certification, they would move on to face Republicans Gary Dale Hartong and Kyle Stogoski in the Nov. 3 general election. Because only two Republicans filed for the at-large seats, Hollyspringsupdate and local reporting note that Hartong and Stogoski automatically advance to November without a contested Republican primary.

Christine Kushner is a former Wake County Board of Education member who represented District 6 after assuming office in 2011 and leaving the school board on December 5, 2022; she currently serves on the Wake County Health and Human Services Board. Hollyspringsupdate summarizes her platform priorities as education funding, access to health care and social services, affordable housing, environmental protection, and inclusive governance. Ballotpedia’s historical records list Kushner’s 2016 school board general election total at 35,926 votes (97.71 percent) and show 2016 campaign contributions totaling $23,467.11.

Mona Singh is identified in local candidate profiles as a first-time candidate and a technology consultant. Jonathan Lambert-Melton is listed as an at-large Raleigh City Council member with municipal experience in housing, transportation, parks, and public safety, and campaigned on affordable housing, public school investment, transit, and equitable growth.

Several incumbent district commissioners were unopposed for re-election and did not appear on the March 3 ballot; IndyWeek reported Don Mial (District 1), Cheryl Stallings (District 3), and Vickie Adamson (District 7) filed unopposed. Election administrators and local outlets will continue to update totals as canvassing proceeds and the State Board of Elections moves toward formal certification.