Former NC State Treasurer Janet Cowell to run for Raleigh mayor

Janet Cowell, a former Raleigh City Council member and former State Treasurer, announced she is running to be Raleigh’s next mayor.

“As mayor, I’ll work every day to build a city that works together for everyone,” she said in a news release Monday morning.

“I’ll focus on housing and planning for growth; public safety and helping our neighbors; and environmental protection and community resilience,” she said. “To make progress on these issues, the city needs to strengthen its partnerships with state and county government, nonprofits and the business community.”

Cowell is the president and CEO of the Dix Park Conservancy, a nonprofit that raises money for Dix Park as a partner for the city.

She joins an already crowded field of candidates. Other candidates include:

• Raleigh City Council member Corey Branch

• Mortgage broker Paul Fitts

• Activist Delmonte Crawford

• Pre-law student James Shaughnessy IV

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin has said she’ll announce in the spring whether she will run for re-election.

“My intent, at this point, is to run again,” Baldwin has told The News & Observer. “We’ve still got work to do. And we need leadership. I’ve led on issues from affordable housing to transit, and I’m finally seeing results. And I don’t want to see things go sideways.”

This story will be updated.