Over the summer, WHQR asked nearly 400 voters one simple question: "What do you think state and local candidates should talk about as they compete for your vote?"
That open-ended question, part of the Community Agenda, received hundreds of answers relevant to many different electoral races. WHQR staff analyzed the responses, categorized them by electoral race, and then determined which issues were of the highest importance to local voters. That process informed our election questionnaires for candidates, and we've created voter guides for the top issues in each race.
Below are responses from four out of six candidates for New Hanover County Commission. Incumbent Commissioners Jonathan Barfield and Bill Rivenbark did not respond before press time. Barfield attended WHQR's candidate forum, so his views on many of these issues will be available to listeners of The Newsroom on October 18.
These responses have been edited for brevity. Each candidate's full response is available on their individual article on WHQR's Election 2024 landing page.
