Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
Melvin “Skip” Alston (D) was selected by the Guilford County Democratic Party in May 2017 to complete the unexpired term of the District 8 representative. Alston was the first African American chairman of the board back in 2003 and retired from the Guilford County Commission in 2012 after 20 years on the board. Owner of The Alston Realty Group.
Fahiym Hanna (D) is a community organizer and small business owner of Sensuous Scents, a natural oil store on Glenwood Avenue. He wants the county to be more innovative in distributing funds and resources to citizens.
Alan W. Duncan (D) - has served on the Board since 2000, and as chairman since 2002. Before being elected to the at-large seat, Duncan served as the District 4 representative. He is an attorney at Turning Point Litigation in Greensboro.
Tijuana B. Hayes (D) is a retired teacher and a past president of the Guilford County Association of Educators. She ran for a Greensboro City Council At-large seat in 2017, but was defeated in the primaries.
Keith McInnis (D) is a domestic violence prevention coordinator for Family Services of the Piedmont. McInnis has also served as a high school assistant principal and social studies teacher with GCS, Lexington City Schools and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
District 4
Desiree Best (D) is a retired English curriculum specialist for GCS and serves as a certified tutor at Jackson Middle School. she was the Guilford County High School Teacher of the Year 2003-04. Best believes that too many decisions at the federal, state and local level have been made by non-educators. She is also concerned about the safety, security, funding and future of public education.
Adrienne Spinner (D) is an event planner. Her campaign platform consists of increasing funding for the Guilford County School System, having more resources for teachers, and more diversity training for teachers and administrators.
Will Marsh (R) is founder and owner of the insurance agency, Marsh Capital Management and he also serves as chairman and founder of the Guilford County Young Professional Republicans and the secretary of the Guilford County Republican Party.
Linda Welborn (R) is an incumbent. She is also a retired information technology professional who said current priorities facing the school system are funding for schools, teacher pay, teacher retention and properly measuring student success.
District 6
Chris Hocker (D) is a Web site designer and an Autism Speaks Volunteer Advocacy Ambassador. hocker says he wants to use his experience working with people who have special needs, to be a voice for all.
Khem Denise Irby (D) is a parent of three GCS students and president of a national parent organization, Parents Across America. Irby was defeated by District 4 incumbent Wes Cashwell in 2016.
Deena Hayes (D) is the managing director of the Racial Equity Institute, chairman of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum Board of Directors and she has served on the school board since 2002. Hayes said there needs to be continued analysis of student achievement, particularly with students of color.
William BJ Levette (D) is a mortgage processor at Wells Fargo. His plartform priorities are to give a voice to parents and teachers. His campaign platform is to support the Superintendent’s six point strategic plan, increase teacher development and retainment, and continue to promote equitable M/WBE (Minority Women Business Enterprises) policies.
Laverne Carter (D) -is an organizer with the Community Call to Action for Student Success in Education (CCASSE).
Therron (TJ) Phipps (D) is a retired Greensboro Police Officer. His goal is to rebuild public trust of the department though agency accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), as well as addressing criminal justice reform concerns that fall under the sheriff's purview.
Danny Rogers (D) - is a native of High Point, Rogers has worked as an officer in the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department and High Point Police Department. Part of his strategic plan consists of reducing crime, providing safer streets and neighborhoods, eliminating the flow of illegal drugs and guns entering communities, and building trust and relationships between citizens and law enforcement officers. He lost to BJ Barnes in the 2016 election.
James Zimmerman, Sr. (D) is a retired Deputy Sheriff of Guilford County and a Holiday Tours bus driver. He ran unsuccessfully for Sheriff in 2014. In addition to the opioid crisis, he believes school violence needs to be addressed. He also believes there should be officer training, not only focused on interacting with citizens, but also for catastrophic events.
BJ Barnes (R) is the incumbent and he has run the sheriff’s office for the past 24 years. Barnes said the number one priority for the sheriff’s office is solving crimes and arresting criminals in order to protect citizens.
Steve Parr (R) is retired from the Guilford County Sheriff’s office. He said he will focus on the opioid crisis, retraining officers on car chase protocols, increase man power in the jails and on the streets and use taxpayer money wisely.
Avery Crump (D) is a former District Court Judge. she previously spent nine years as an assistant district attorney in Guilford County. She said she wants to work on the overcrowded dockets and get the DA’s office more organized on cases and trials, specifically those involving juveniles.
Stephanie Reese (D) is a Guilford County assistant district attorney from High Point. Reese has served in that position for 17 years where she has specialized in cases of fraud and elder abuse. If elected, she said she wants to establish a veteran’s court and improve the mental health/substance abuse courts.
Amos Quick (D) is the incumbent and lead pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in High Point. He is running for his second term in the State House. He is also a former Guilford County Board of Education member. Quick said his platform consists of raising the minimum wage by 2020, increasing teacher pay and options for career development, and empowerment of the people.
Katelyn Flippen (D) is a public health graduate student at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Her platform includes a focus on schools, healthcare and support of small businesses.
Adam Coker (D) is a local truck driver and he raises cattle. Coker's campaign focuses on jobs, wages, healthcare education, stricter firearms regulations and foreign policies that benefit all. He is touted as an accessible, peoples’ candidate who supports stopping mass incarceration, expansion of Medicaid, mental health reform, raising the minimum wage, cuts to wasteful spending, equal pay for equal work, affordable higher education, renewable energy investment and standing up to the Trump agenda. .
Kathy Manning (D) is a Greensboro attorney and community volunteer. She has served as president of the Jewish Federations of North America, one of the largest charitable organizations in the world. She has also served as a partner in a major law firm in Greensboro for 16 years before leaving to start her own business. Her focus is jobs, economy, affordable healthcare and education.
Ryan Watts (D) is a senior consultant with Deloitte Consulting. His campaign is focused on fair redistricting legislation, eliminating wasteful military spending, protecting Social Security, Medicare and immigration reform.
Gerald Wong (D) - owner and operator of a trucking business. Attained the rank of Specialist 5 in the U.S. Army. Said he wants to focus on universal healthcare, support of social security, living wages, affordable college tuition and gun control legislation.
