Showing posts tagged “Kevin Wolff”
Joe Schwartz ·
4 Nov 2009, 3:31 AM ·
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*Reporter’s note: Scroll to the bottom if you want the quickie results from Election Day (no suprises in Carrboro or Hillsborough. CHCCS followed the Indy endorsement. Chapel Hill Town Council went to Penny Rich, Ed Harrison, Laurin Easthom and Gene Pease). If you’d like to read a scene-setting piece from Chapel Hill Mayor-elect Mark Kleinschmidt’s victory party, then read on.
Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt celebrates his mayoral victory as his twin sister clutches his shoulder and his mom bursts into tears.
Supporters erupted. His mother burst into tears. His sister shouted. Mark Kleinschmidt just smiled contently, arms crossed but giving the kind of ear-to-ear grin you could feel across the room, satisfaction and disbelief merging together on his face. The campaign had just received word that rival Matt Czajkowski had made his concession speech at the Franklin Hotel.
The progressive bloc had won. They’d just escaped a new, moderate business-centered group gaining traction and council seats. Not so fast.
Word came back that one precint, Patterson, was yet to report. Kleinschmidt was up a scant 168 votes. The jubiliation turned to shocked concern. It was too close to call.
“I don’t want a Dewey defeats Truman headline,” Kleinschmidt warned reporters at his R&R Grill party. The pack of local politicos returned to the laptop, clicking refresh again and again.
Moments later, the candidate’s ever-buzzing cell phone went off once more. It was Mayor Kevin Foy calling to congratulate him.
Kleinschmidt cautioned him, but thanked him for his support. Then the results flashed on the TV screens. It was final — Kleinschmidt had won.
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Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Orange County, politics Amanda Ashley, Augustus Cho, Brian Voyce, Bryant Warren, Christine Lee, Ed Harrison, Frances Dancy, Gene Pease, Greg McElveen, Jacquelyn Gist, Jim Merritt, Joe Green, Jon Dehart, Kevin Foy, Kevin Wolff, Laurin Easthom, Mark Chilton, Mark Kleinschmidt, MaryAnne Gucciardi, Matt Czajkowski, Matt Pohlman, Mike Gering, Penny Rich, Randee Haven-O'Donnell, Sammy Slade, Sharon Cook, Shell Brownstein, Susana Dancy, Tim Peck, Tom Stevens, Will Raymond
Joe Schwartz ·
3 Nov 2009, 2:05 PM ·
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Orange County Board of Elections Chairwoman Tracy Reams says it’s “very slow out there” on Election Day.
She’s seeing some polling stations with as few as 23 or 45 voters, and her team is reporting few lines across the county.
Residents have until 7:30 p.m. to cast a ballot. Reams says she expects the first precinct totals to be released by 7:50 p.m. with full results to come by 9 p.m. at the latest. They will be posted to the BOE’s Web site.
Reams added that she still has not received a written withdrawal notice from Chapel Hill mayoral hopeful Kevin Wolff and that he “is still a valid candidate.”
Chapel Hill, Orange County Kevin Wolff, Tracy Reams
Joe Schwartz ·
2 Nov 2009, 2:15 PM ·
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The race for Chapel Hill mayor is too close to call between Matt Czajkowski and Mark Kleinschmidt, according to a poll released today by Public Policy Polling. The councilmen have 45 and 44 percent, respectively, with a 4 percent margin of error. Competitors Augustus Cho and Kevin Wolff each have 3 percent.
The survey found incumbent Ed Harrison (12 percent), Gene Pease (11 percent) and first-term Councilwoman Laurin Easthom (10 percent) leading the race for four seats on the Chapel Hill Town Council with Jon DeHart (9 percent) and Matt Pohlman (9 percent) battling Penny Rich (8 percent) and appointed Councilman Jim Merritt (7 percent) for fourth place. Will Raymond came in last at 3 percent.
The poll was conducted Saturday and Sunday with 30 percent of the 614 voters contacted responding as still undecided. Election Day is tomorrow.
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Chapel Hill, Orange County, politics Augustus Cho, Ed Harrison, Gene Pease, Jim Merritt, Jon Dehart, Kevin Wolff, Laurin Easthom, Mark Kleinschmidt, Matt Czajkowski, Matt Pohlman, Penny Rich, Public Policy Polling, Will Raymond
Joe Schwartz ·
27 Oct 2009, 4:15 PM ·
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Fliers paid for by the Kevin Wolff for Mayor Campaign popped up at Chapel Hill and Carrboro early voting sites this weekend, leading some to question if Wolff is still actively seeking office despite saying he’s dropping out and others denouncing the material’s anti-gay content.
On Monday, the fliers, which give a checklist comparing Wolff and competitors Matt Czajkowski and Mark Kleinschmidt, were gone at the Morehead Planetarium site, but a few soggy ones remained in a plastic bag attached to a Wolff campaign sign at Carrboro Town Hall. Among the differences, Wolff notes that unlike Kleinschmidt, one of five openly gay elected politicians in the state, he is not a “gay-rights activist” and “has children.”
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Chapel Hill, Orange County, politics Augustus Cho, Chapel Hill mayoral election, Kevin Wolff, Mark Kleinschmidt, Matt Czajkowski, Steve Hill
Joe Schwartz ·
21 Oct 2009, 10:12 AM ·
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Despite announcing his intentions to drop out of the Chapel Hill mayor’s race, Kevin Wolff campaign signs still encourage residents to vote for him, and he hasn’t submitted any formal withdrawal to the Orange County Board of Elections.
As WCHL first reported, Wolff declared his intentions Thursday at the radio station’s elections forum, but he hasn’t filed any official paperwork. Wolff is declining all media requests, referring all questions to his 60-word, ”Kevin believes the town will best be served by stepping aside “press release” and to the following Horton-inspired sentence, ”I said what I meant and I meant what I said.”
Due to his timing, his name will remain on the ballot, and in lieu of filing formal paperwork and taking down his signs, he could still earn the most votes and the mayor’s seat. Campaign manager Steve Hill said he was unsure of Wolff’s plans.
“I’m only stammering because I’m a little surprised by the questions. I don’t know if there’s a position about an official filing,” he said. “He may just leave signs up until after because he’s not required to take them down.”
One Dr. Seuss quote deserves another. Mr. Wolff, “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
Chapel Hill, Orange County, politics Chapel Hill mayoral race, Dr. Seuss, Kevin Wolff, Steve Hill
Joe Schwartz ·
15 Oct 2009, 9:05 PM ·
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The third time won’t be the charm for Kevin Wolff, who announced at a WCHL forum Thursday night that he’s ending his campaign.
Wolff, a patent attorney who failed in 2005 and 2007 bids as well, had taken out newspaper ads encouraging Councilman Matt Czajkowski to drop out of the race, saying that the two would split votes. Tonight he decided he was the one who needed to go.
Wolff said he wants to see a moderate mayor and that Czajkowski now provides the best chance to achieve that goal. He said he expects Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt, a liberal, to win the race. Wolff called on republican Augustus Cho to join him in leaving the two councilmen to fight for Chapel Hill’s top job.
This marks the end of what has been, by all accounts, a troubled and controversial campaign for Wolff. He upset some residents with a push poll in which the words “moral” and “mayoral” were confused, leading some to say that Wolff claimed to be the only “moral” candidate. He denied those charges.
His “Keep Matt where he’s at” advertisements also drew scrutiny. Wolff also was an outspoken critic of publicly financed elections before deciding to file for the funding. He then loaned himself $10,000 for his campaign, which disqualified him from the program.
Early voting started today, and Wolff’s name will remain on the ballot.
You can hear Wolff’s announcement here.
Chapel Hill, politics Augustus Cho, Kevin Wolff, Mark Kleinschmidt, Matt Czajkowski
Joe Schwartz ·
14 Oct 2009, 3:43 PM ·
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Matt Czajkowski has raised more than $21,000, triggering rescue funds for voter-owned candidate Mark Kleinschmidt. Czajkowski filed his 24-hour special report Friday, stating that he has accumulated $23,629.50 in private contributions. Among them are real estate leaders, developers and university professors.
Czajkowski’s sum means Kleinschmidt can claim an additional $4,000 in public financing on top of the $9,000 he’s earned already by gaining $4,505 from individuals and a political committee, according to his September report.
Competitor Augustus Cho’s latest report, filed Friday, shows only one private contribution for $200 from his treasurer. He’s loaned himself $547.50 for the campaign. Kevin Wolff’s most recent filing shows $10,210 raised including a $10,000 loan to himself.
Chapel Hill, politics Augustus Cho, Chapel Hill, Kevin Wolff, Mark Kleinschmidt, Matt Czajkowski, mayoral race
Joe Schwartz ·
30 Sep 2009, 3:00 PM ·
3 Comments
Chapel Hill mayoral hopeful Kevin Wolff is calling on competitor Matt Czajkowski to drop out of the race in a half-page ad in today’s Chapel Hill News. Czajkowski isn’t budging, but declined to fire back.
The 5A advertisement is a letter addressed to voters and asks them to, “keep Matt where he’s at.” Czajkowski, the lone moderate voice on the council, still has two years left in his term.
Czajkowski did not want to respond to specific accusations.
“I’ve been saying from the very beginning of this campaign that as candidates, I at least believe that we have an obligation to focus on the challenges that we as Chapel Hill are facing,” he said. “I’m determined to make this an issue based campaign.”
The entire text of the ad can be found here at Wolff’s Web site, which was unveiled as part of the advertisement. Wolff was coy when asked about creating a Web site by the Indy for a story that hit stands today.
Wolff argues that Czajkowski has been ineffective in building allies and that citizens should elect him if they want to have two moderate voices working together.
The going rate for a half-page black-and-white political ad in The Chapel Hill News is $523.53
Chapel Hill, Orange County, politics 2009 Municipal Elections, Chapel Hill, Kevin Wolff, Matt Czajkowski
Joe Schwartz ·
22 Sep 2009, 6:47 PM ·
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Kevin Wolff has issued a press release claiming he was misquoted in this Monday’s N&O and threatening legal action if other reporters “alter any of these facts.”
Wolff was responding to this article in which Anne Bleyman, identified as a Mark Kleinschmidt supporter, says she received a push poll phone call from Wolff’s campaign that asked if she’d vote for Wolff if she knew he was the only “moral” candidate.
Wolff’s campaign manager, Steve Hill, said the word was “mayoral.” Hill refused to release the text of the poll to the N&O.
Today’s release states that “An article appeared in The News & Observer on Monday, September 21, that implied that Kevin Wolff stated “… he never authorized a poll question about morality.” That is an incorrect statement, Mr. Wolff stated that the campaign has never discussed morality period.”
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Uncategorized Anne Bleyman, Chapel Hill Municipal Elections, Kevin Wolff, Mark Kleinschmidt, push-poll
