Raleigh mayor faces challenges from left, right

"There are pressing needs in Raleigh. There are a large number of people in Raleigh suffering," said Francis, an attorney who was born and raised in Raleigh.

Francis said the dearth of affordable housing in Raleigh and a "terrible bus transit system" limit options for many in the city.

McFarlane said Raleigh leaders are doing what they can to boost affordable housing, noting that the city dedicated 1 cent from a recent increase to the local property tax rate to securing more affordable units in the city. But Francis called that "too little, too late."

"What we’re doing is taxing low-income, senior homeowners who may be house rich but cash poor to pay for other low- and moderate-income housing. It’s not the right approach," he said. "What we should be doing is building tax credit housing and preserve the affordable housing we have."

"We’ll always need to do more. I can’t control the market and can’t tell people they can’t sell their house," McFarlane said. "It’s hard. It’s complex."

Dealing with the growth in Raleigh remains her top concern, she said.

"We’ve been planning for growth, and we're now seeing the rate at which its coming. I think experience helps," she said. "How do you accommodate this many people, this many cars – where they're going to work, where they’re going to live – and not lose the quality that they’re coming here for?"

The transit plan city and Wake County leaders have put together is critical to manage that growth, McFarlane said, as are the new Union Station downtown and ongoing plans for Dix Park.

For Fitts, a mortgage lender who previously ran for seats on the City Council and the Wake County Board of Commissioners, Dix Park is representative of what's wrong with Raleigh.

"I feel like the city has a debt issue," the Raleigh native said. "We’ve been buying things we don’t need."

Fitts cited spending state road funds on bicycle lanes and roundabouts instead of resurfacing streets and investing local funds to upgrade Moore Square, which is state property.

"I could go down the list of wrong choices in Raleigh, but it usually breaks down to ideology," he said.

Raleigh should use its "rainy day" reserve fund to pay down some of its debt, Fitts said.

"I believe, if we can attack where our problems are and focus on them effectively, we can do more about helping people," he said. "Take care of people who take care of us, focus on crumbling infrastructure."

Fitts recently drew criticism by focusing his attention on the issue of football players kneeling during the national anthem before games.

"Why are players protesting? They feel there is 'injustice'? What about the 'injustice' they create?" he wrote in a Sept. 25 Facebook post that has since been taken down. "Children whom they do not claim. Women they beat and rape. Taxes they do not pay. Drugs they do illegally. Drunk driving. Murder..."

Fitts responded to the criticism by noting dozens of NFL players have been charged in the past year with domestic violence, drug offenses, drunken driving and illegal weapons possession.

"The point on all of this is that there is no moral authority coming from the NFL. They have no room to protest against anyone until the players clean their own house first," he wrote in an email to WRAL News.

On the campaign trail, both Fitts and Francis said McFarlane hasn't provided the leadership Raleigh needs.

"I think she has not been a leader who has engaged people all over town," Francis said.

McFarlane said Raleigh is "where my life is," and she wants to continue guiding it as it faces growth-related challenges.

"I feel very connected to every part of this city whether I’ve lived there or not," she said. "I’m very worried about [growth] and want to make sure we are prepared for it so that we keep the essence of Raleigh."