Charlotte Observer: Cogdell Won't Seek Re-Election, Goes Unaffiliated

Harold Cogdell Mecklenburg County Commissioners Chair Harold Cogdell said today he won't run for office this year, and is changing his political registration from Democrat to unaffiliated. Cogdell made the announcement at a morning press conference at the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections Office. An attorney, Cogdell has served as a county commissioner since 2008, and previously was on the Charlotte City Council. Cogdell said he had considered running for the 9th Congressional seat being vacated by Republican Sue Myrick. But he said he would thought he'd be unable to collect the 25,000 needed signatures to make the ballot as an independent candidate. Cogdell had been considering not running for office for months, noting he closed his campaign account last June. Cogdell's announcement means that none of the three sitting at-large county commissioners are seeking re-election to the Mecklenburg board. Democrat Jennifer Roberts and Republican Jim Pendergraph are both running for the Myrick seat. So far, four candidates - Democrats Trevor Fuller and Kim Michele Ratliff and Republicans Michael Hobbs and James F. Peterson - have filed to run for the at-large posts. Filing continues through noon Wednesday. April Bethea contributed