Paul Gibson wants to be chairman
Guilford County commissioner Paul Gibson says he'll seek the board chairmanship for next year.
Commissioners choose a chairman during their first meeting in December, but the campaigning often starts well before then. Gibson, a Democrat, says he hasn't started rounding up the five other votes he'll need from his fellow board members to win the post.
"Do I have six votes?" he said. "I don’t have a clue."
The current chair, Democrat Carolyn Coleman, faces re-election this fall. In an interview earlier this week, she didn't say whether she'd seek another term as chairwoman if she wins.
"I'll think about it," she said. "Right now, I've got to get this election won."
It's no surprise that Gibson wants to the chair the board; he talked often about it during his 2004 campaign. But he says he hasn't cut any deals with anyone to get the post, as Democrat Skip Alston has suggested.
"Skip's the dealmaster. He knows all about that," Gibson said. "I have not talked to anybody about 'Will you support me?' or 'I’ll do this if you do that.'"