Greensboro Mayoral Front-Runners Trade Barbs by Email Over Recusals

Greensboro's mayoral race is being fought in voters' inboxes as much as anywhere else. Mayor Nancy Vaughan and District 3 Councilmember Justin Outling are widely viewed as the leading candidates in the primary, and their campaigns have been exchanging pointed emails that each accuse the other of being misleading.

Two other candidates, Eric Robert and Mark Cummings, also appear on the nonpartisan primary ballot. Even so, the expectation among most observers is that Vaughan and Outling will advance to face each other in the July 26 general election.

The central point of contention is recusal. Outling is a partner at the Brooks Pierce law firm, and he must step aside from any vote involving a firm client, even when the firm's work for that client is unrelated to the matter before the council. Vaughan holds no job other than mayor, so she does not face conflicts of interest arising from outside employment.

In an email from his campaign titled "Misleading For Your Vote," Outling said the incumbent has repeatedly argued he could not serve effectively because he sometimes recuses himself on matters involving his firm. "Not only does she portray my ethical conduct as a liability, but she also presents her argument in a misleading way," the message stated.

Outling pointed to his record in the email. He said he has taken part in thousands of votes during his seven years representing District 3. He said only two of the votes from which he recused himself were not unanimous, and that in no case would his recusal have changed the result. He added that he and Vaughan have each voted on 98 percent of the items before the council, counting absences.

Vaughan's campaign answered with a message titled "Recusal 101." It said Outling was trying to justify his absences from voting and downplay their significance. "The issue is: it's a very big deal," the email stated. According to the message, a recused member cannot vote, discuss or deliberate, and must remain "hands off" rather than be "In the Room Where It Happens."

Vaughan wrote that voters deserve a mayor who can actively and effectively represent them on issues such as Toyota, Boom and affordable housing, among others. She also said Outling has indicated his firm will be involved in any issue of a consequential nature. "That's good for them and bad for you," she wrote.

The email went on to argue that Outling would not be allowed to deliberate on or preside over such items, let alone vote on them, and therefore could not perform the duties of mayor. Outling's emails reject that framing and describe his recusals as ethical conduct.

With the general election still weeks away, further exchanges between the two campaigns appear likely.