# Raleigh City Council

Raleigh City Council is the governing body for the city of Raleigh, the state capital of North Carolina.
Raleigh is governed by council-manager government. It is composed of eight members, including the Mayor of Raleigh. Five of the members are elected from the five districts that cover the city. The remaining three, including the mayor, are elected at-large. They are all elected every two years. The new council is installed in early December.

## History

In 2021, municipal elections in Raleigh—including those for city council—were moved from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years.

## Members 2024–2026 term

* Janet Cowell, Mayor
* Stormie Forte, at-large, Mayor Pro Tempore
* Jonathan Melton, at-large
* Mitchell Silver, District A
* Megan Patton, District B
* Corey Branch, District C
* Jane Harrison, District D
* Christina Jones, District E

## Notable former members

* Ralph Campbell (1985–1991)
* Janet Cowell (2001–2004)
* Jesse Helms (1957–1961)
* Neal Hunt (2001–2004)
* Eric Miller Reeves (1993–1996)
* Saige Martin (2019-2020)

## Previous Raleigh City Councils

1947 – 1949
* P. D. Snipes, Mayor
* Miss Ruth Wilson
* Fred B. Wheeler
* Hobson I. Gattis
* John F. Danielson
* Fred Fletcher
* Joe S. Correll
1949 – 1951
* P. D. Snipes, Mayor
* James E. Briggs, Mayor Pro Tem
* Miss Ruth Wilson
* Joe S. Correll
* John F. Danielson
* Hobson I. Gattis
* Fred B. Wheeler
1951 – 1953
* James E. Briggs, Mayor
* Fred B. Wheeler, Mayor Pro Tem, Chairman of Law & Finance Committee
* B. B. Benson
* John F. Danielson, Chairman of Public Works Committee
* W. W. Merriman, Jr.
* W. D. Martin, Sr.
* Martin K. Green
1953 – 1955
* Fred B. Wheeler, Mayor
* John F. Danielson, Chairman of Public Works Committee
* B. B. Benson, Mayor Pro Tem
* W. D. Debnam
* William G. Enloe, Chairman of Law & Finance Committee
* Martin K. Green
* W. D. Martin, Sr.
1955 – 1957
* Fred B. Wheeler, Mayor
* John F. Danielson, Mayor Pro Tem, Chairman of Public Works Committee
* W. E. Debnam (resigned 7/20/57 – Wade Lewis appointed)
* Charles W. Bradshaw
* Martin K. Green
* Frank M. Jolly
* William G. Enloe, Chairman of Law & Finance Committee
1957 – 1959
* Wililam G. Enloe, Mayor
* Guy W. Rawls, Mayor Pro Tem
* John N. Coffey, Chairman of Public Works Committee at death of Fred B. Wheeler
* Joe S. Correll
* Jesse Helms, Chairman of Law & Finance Committee
* James D. Ray, Jr.
* Fred D. Wheeler (died in office 12/11/57 – John E.Treadwell appointed)
1959 – 1961
* William G. Enloe, Mayor
* James W. Reid, Mayor Pro Tem
* John N. Coffee, Chairman of Public Works Committee
* Joe S. Correll
* Jesse Helms, Chairman of Law & Finance Committee
* Robert S. Sessoms, Jr.
* Paul A. Hoover
1961 – 1963
* Wiliam G. Enloe, Mayor
* James W. Reid, Mayor Pro Tem
* John N. Coffee, Chairman of Public Works Committee
* Paul A. Hoover, Chairman of Law & Finance Committee
* William L. McLaurin
* Travis H. Tomlinson
* John W. Winters
1963 – 1965
* James W. Reid, Mayor
* Wiliam L. McLaurin, Mayor Pro Tem
* Earl H. Hostetler
* William H. Worth
* Travis H. Tomlinson, Chairman of Law & Finance Committee
* John Winters, Chairman of Public Works and Planning Commission
* Charles W. Gaddy
1965 – 1967
* Travis H. Tomlinson, Mayor
* William L. McLaurin, Mayor Pro Tem
* Earl H. Hostetler
* William H. Worth
* John W. Winters
* Charles W. Gaddy
* William M. Law
1967 – 1969
* Travis H. Tomlinson, Mayor
* Earl H. Hostetler, Mayor Pro Tem
* Clarence E. Lightner
* William H. Worth
* William M. Law
* Seby B. Jones
* George B. Cherry
1969 – 1971
* Seby B. Jones, Mayor
* George B. Cherry, Mayor Pro Tem
* Clarence E. Lightner
* Jesse O. Sanderson
* Thomas W. Bradshaw
* A. L. Strickland
* Robert W. Shoffner
1971 – 1973
* Thomas W. Bradshaw, Jr. – Mayor
* Clarence E. Lightner, Mayor Pro Tem
* Michael Boyd
* Jesse O. Sanderson (resigned 2/29/73 – Paul Hoover appointed)
* William G. Enloe (died 11/22/72 – Edith Reid appointed)
* A. L. Strickland
* Robert W. Shoffner
1973 – 1975
* Clarence E. Lightner, Mayor
* Jack B. Keeter, Mayor Pro Tem
* Ronald I. Kirshbaum
* Thomas G. Bashford
* Miriam P. Block
* William R. Knight
* James T. Quinn
* J. Oliver Wililams
1975 – 1977
* Jyles J. Coggins, Mayor
* Jack B. Keeter, Mayor Pro Tem
* Ronald I. Kirschbaum
* Thomas G. Bashford
* Miriam P. Block
* Randolph T. Hester, Jr.
* William R. Knight
* James T. Quinn
1977 – 1979
* Isabella W. Cannon, Mayor
* Jack B. Keeter, Mayor Pro Tem (died 12/2/78 – James B. Womble appointed)
* Miriam P. Block
* William R. Knight
* Edward A. Walters
* William H. Wilson
* George Smedes York
* S. Tony Jordan
1979 – 1981
* G. Smedes York, Mayor
* Edward A. Walters, Mayor
* James B. Womble
* Miriam P. Block
* John A. Edwards, Jr.
* Arthur J. Calloway
* S. Tony Jordan
* Avery C. Upchurch
1981 - 1983
* G. Smedes York, Mayor
* Edwards A. Walters, Mayor Pro Tem
* Sandra P. Babb
* Walter M. Keller
* John A. Edwards, Jr.
* Arthur J. Calloway
* S. Tony Jordan
* Avery C. Upchurch
1983 – 1985
* Avery C. Upchurch, Mayor
* Edward A. Walters, Mayor Pro Tem
* Sandra P. Babb
* Walter M. Keller
* Miriam P. Block
* Arthur J. Calloway
* Mary C. Cates
* O. Morton Congleton
1985 – 1987
* Avery C. Upchurch, Mayor
* Edward A. Walters, Mayor Pro Tem
* Mary C. Cates
* O. Morton Congleton
* Perry Safran
* Charles C. Meeker
* Ralph Campbell, Jr.
* Norma DeCamp Burns
1987 – 1989
* Avery C. Upchurch, Mayor
* Mary C. Cates, Mayor Pro Tem
* Charles C. Meeker
* Ralph Campbell, Jr.
* Norma DeCamp Burns
* Geoffrey Elting
* Anne S. Franklin
* Mary Watson Nooe
1989 – 1991
* Avery C. Upchurch, Mayor
* Ralph Campbell, Jr., Mayor Pro Tem
* Mary C. Cates
* Anne S. Franklin
* Mary Watson Nooe
* Frank L. Turner
* E. Julian Ford
* J. Barlow Herget
1991 – 1993
* Avery C. Upchurch, Mayor
* Anne S. Franklin, Mayor Pro Tem
* Mary C. Cates
* Mary Watson Nooe
* Ralph Campbell, Jr. (elected State Auditor – Charles Francis appointed)
* Charles C. Meeker
* Geoffrey Elting
* J. Barlow Hergett
1993 – 1995
* Tom Fetzer, Mayor
* Mary Watson Nooe, Mayor Pro Tem
* Charles C. Meeker
* Geoff Elting
* John H. Odom
* Brad Thompson
* Eric Reeves
* Paul Y. Coble
1995 - 1997
* Tom Fetzer, Mayor
* Julie Shea Graw
* Marc Scruggs
* Kieran Joseph Shanahan
* John H. Odom
* Brad Thompson
* Eric Reeves (elected to State House of Representatives 12-96 – Stacy Miller app’t 1-97)
* Paul Y. Coble
1997 – 1999
* Tom Fetzer, Mayor
* Julie Shea Graw
* Stephanie Fanjul
* Kieran Joseph Shanahan
* John H. Odom
* Brad Thompson
* W. Benson Kirkman
* Paul Y. Coble
1999 – 2001
* Paul Y. Coble, Mayor
* John H. Odom, Mayor Pro Tem
* Julie Shea Graw
* O. Morton Congleton
* Kieran Joseph Shanahan
* James West
* W. Benson Kirkman
* Marc Scruggs
2001 – 2003
* Charles C. Meeker, Mayor
* W. Benson Kirkman, Deputy Mayor
* John H. Odom, Deputy Mayor
* Janet R. Cowell
* K. Neal Hunt
* Philip R. Isley
* Kieran Joseph Shanahan
* James P. West
2003 – 2005
* Charles C. Meeker, Mayor
* James P. West, Mayor Pro Tem – District C
* Janet Cowell replaced by Joyce Kekas 2/1/05 -Cowell elected to NC Senate - At Large
* Neal K. Hunt replaced by Tommy Craven 2/1/05 – Hunt elected to NC Senate- At Large
* Mike Regan – District A
* Jessie Taliaferro – District B
* Thomas Crowder – District D
* Philip Isley – District E
2005 – 2007
* Charles C. Meeker
* Russ Stephenson – At Large
* Joyce Kekas – At Large
* Thomas Craven – District A
* Jessie Taliaferro – District B
* James P. West – District C – Mayor Pro Tem
* Thomas G. Crowder – District D
* Philip Randolph Isley – District E
2007 – 2009
* Charles C. Meeker, Mayor
* James P. West, Mayor Pro Tem - District C
* Mary Ann Baldwin – At Large
* Russ Stephenson – At Large
* Nancy McFarlane – District A
* Rodger Koopman - District B
* Thomas G. Crowder – District D
* Philip R. Isley – District E
2009 – 2011
* Charles C. Meeker – Mayor
* James P. West, Mayor Pro Tem – District C (Resigned to become Wake County Commissioner 9/21/10)
* Mary-Ann Baldwin – At Large (Mayor Pro Tem 10/19/10 – 4/30/11)
* Russ Stephenson – At Large
* Nancy McFarlane – District A (Mayor Pro Tem 5/1/11 – 12/5/11)
* John Odom – District B
* Eugene Weeks – District C (October 19, 2010)
* Thomas G. Crowder – District D
* Bonner Gaylord – District E
2011 – 2013
* Nancy McFarlane – Mayor
* Russ Stephenson – At Large; Mayor Pro Tem 12/6/11 – 12/03/12
* Eugene Weeks – District C; Mayor Pro Tem 12/04/12 – 12/03/13
* Mary-Ann Baldwin – At Large
* Randall Stagner – District A
* John Odom – District B
* Thomas Crowder – District D
* Bonner Gaylord – District E
2013 – 2015
* Nancy McFarlane – Mayor
* Mary-Ann Baldwin – At-Large
* Russ Stephenson – At-Large
* Wayne Maiorano – District A
* John Odom – District B
* Eugene Weeks – District C
* Thomas Crowder – District D
* Bonner Gaylord – District E
2015-2017
* Nancy McFarlane – Mayor
* Mary-Ann Baldwin – At-Large
* Russ Stephenson – At-Large
* Dickie Thompson – District A
* David Cox – District B
* Corey Branch – District C
* Kay Crowder – District D
* Bonner Gaylord – District E
2017-2019
* Nancy McFarlane (Mayor)
* Nicole Stewart (at-large)
* Russ Stephenson (at-large)
* Dickie Thompson (District A)
* David Cox (District B)
* Corey Branch (District C)
* Kay Crowder (District D)
* Stef Mendell (District E)