Two months after he posted a disappointing performance in the Democratic primary for Charlotte mayor, state Sen. Joel Ford said he will seek a fourth term in Raleigh.
Ford, who represent’s Mecklenburg County’s 38th district, made the announcement Wednesday, hours after fellow Democrat Vi Lyles won the mayoral victory he once sought.
In an email sent to supporters, Ford said he wants to fight for “more investments in education including public schools, community colleges and university systems.”
“I believe we need to focus more funding for workforce training programs to increase economic mobility and fill jobs with the skills necessary in today’s economy,” he said in the announcement. “I believe we must figure out a health care system that families can afford. With Washington unable to effectively address this issue, we need to be prepared as working families are priced out of affordable insurance and access to health care.”
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In a three-way primary race with Lyles and outgoing Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, Ford finished last with 16 percent of the vote, failing to win even one of the city’s 168 precincts.
Missing from today’s announcement was any mention of cooperation with Republicans – one of Ford’s talking points since he was elected as a political moderate in 2012. Rather, he focused his re-election announcement on issues central to his working-class, largely African American constituency – jobs, education and economic mobility.
Ford could not be immediately reached for comment.
