Mayor wins rough race for 10th term

Official says he's still angry over tone of rival's campaign

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

MORGANTON --Mel Cohen easily won his 10th term as Morganton mayor Tuesday, beating former community college president Jim Richardson in a contentious and sometimes nasty race.
Cohen won with 59 percent of the vote, compared with Richardson's 41 percent, according to unofficial returns.

While Cohen said he was pleased with the victory, the divisive campaign left him "angry," he said.

"I knew when I entered this race, it would be dirty," he said. "He managed to accuse me of adultery and stealing. ... I wouldn't have been surprised if he had accused me of kidnapping the Lindbergh baby."

Richardson did not attend his campaign party, and supporters said he was at home with a fever. Messages left on his cell and home phones were not returned.

His supporters said they were disappointed in the election results, but that they hoped interest in the race would increase involvement in city politics. "We've lost the battle but we won the war to get people to come out and be involved in government," said Gresham Orrison, one of the supporters at the party.

Though both candidates said they didn't want the race to get dirty, it was heated from the beginning. Supporters on both sides said they heard allegations of unethical behavior and campaign techniques by the candidates.

Publicly, Richardson, who led Western Piedmont Community College for 25 years, questioned Cohen's involvement in keeping and maintaining the Historic Morganton Festival's financial records.

Cohen, who is president of the festival board, and members of the board responded angrily, saying the finances were handled appropriately and that Richardson was making unfounded implications.

Morganton residents turned out in big numbers this year, with more than 3,500 people casting votes, nearly doubling the number from the last city election, in 2003.


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