Morning, gang.

Early voting begins tomorrow, September 18, in Greensboro’s City Council primaries. It will last until October 4, when races will be set for the November 4 general election.

All this month we’ll continue to bring you profiles of candidates—veterans and political newcomers alike. We’ve heard from many of you how much you appreciate this sort of coverage and we’ll be zeroing in on specific races, candidates and issues as we progress through the primary and into the general.

— Joe Killian

Courtesy of Monica Walker

Monica Walker Wants to ‘Do The Work’ in District 2

After years of community engagement, Monica Walker wants the District 2 seat on the Greensboro City Council.

Read the full story here.

— Gale Melcher

Thanks for reading The Thread, a 3x week newsletter written by Greensboro editor Joe Killian and reporters Sayaka Matsuoka and Gale Melcher. Reach us with tips or ideas at greensboro@theassemblync.com.

Courtesy of Cecile Crawford.

Cecile Crawford is known in the community for her organizing and activism around social issues such as housing and tenants’ rights. Now, she wants to take her skills and passion to a Greensboro City Council seat in District 2.

Read the full story here.

— Gale Melcher

The Greensboro City Council Is About To Get A Lot of New Faces

Big changes could be in store with at least four, and possibly six, current members departing next year.

Credit: Photo courtesy of NAI Piedmont-Triad

Back in the Game

Former Mayor Robbie Perkins says Greensboro needs a strong leader. More than a decade after leaving council, Perkins says he’s the man for the job.

‘Not Waiting My Turn’

Akir Khan is running for Greensboro mayor in his first political campaign. He believes he can build a broad coalition as part of a new generation of leadership.

‘A Rising Tide Raises All the Ships’

At-large City Council member Hugh Holston is seeking reelection.

Jamilla Pinder In Her Own Right

The Greensboro City Council selected Jamilla Pinder to finish the unexpired term of the late Yvonne Johnson. This November, she’s looking to win an at-large seat.

Irving Allen Wants Another Shot at City Council

There are a lot of contenders for the council’s at-large seats. But Irving Allen thinks he has a shot this time around.

Latoya Gathers Wants to Represent All of Greensboro

Gathers is the only registered Republican in the crowded at-large field. That doesn’t define her, she says, and she wants to represent all of Greensboro.

Beard Aims to Score a Greensboro Council Seat

Richard Beard is president and CEO of the Greensboro Sports Foundation. This fall, he wants a new role—one of the three at-large representatives on the nine-member Greensboro City Council.

What We’re Reading

A Major Merger: Elon University and Queens University will be merging, the schools announced Tuesday. Elon will take over operations of Queens’ Charlotte campus. The merger should be complete by summer of 2026. The News & Record has more.

One Dead, One Wounded: A Monday night shooting on Bellevue Street left one person dead and one critically wounded, according to Greensboro police. The killing was the city’s 27th homicide this year. Fox8 has the story.

Time for Pride: Greensboro’s Pride Festival is coming up on September 20. But why is the Gate City’s festival in September, when most cities celebrate earlier in the summer? WFDD asked, and the answer is simpler than you may think.

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Joe Killian is The Assembly's Greensboro editor. He joined us from NC Newsline, where he was senior investigative reporter. He spent a decade at The News & Record covering cops and courts, higher education, and government.

Gale is a Report for America corps member and Greensboro-based reporter for The Assembly. She previously covered local government and community issues for Triad City Beat. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from N.C. State University.