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CHARLOTTE, NC– As Charlotte city leaders continue discussions about who should be the next Mayor, Patrick Cannon’s opponent in the November election is speaking out. Edwin Peacock says he heard rumblings about Cannon, but wanted to keep the campaign clean.
“There were a lot of people who came to me that wanted me to go below the belt on my opponent,” says Peacock, “…You certainly give great thought to the ‘what if’–what if I would have known this? What if I would have amplified the rumors that we’d heard?”
On Wednesday, 114 days after being elected Mayor, Cannon was arrested on federal corruption charges. Hours later, Cannon resigned from his position as Charlotte Mayor. Before the November election, Peacock says there were plenty of conversations and whispers about Cannon.
“The most common was “pay-to-play”–that he was peddling that he had a lot more access– that something could occur there, ” says Peacock.
Despite the rumblings, Peacock says his main priority was sticking to his campaign. He says he never would have fathomed the recent events that have taken place.
“It went from shock and disbelief, to Charlotte has not elected somebody under the right pretenses,” says Peacock.
Peacock says the goal now is to restore the public’s trust. He suggests instead of City Council appointing a new Mayor, Charlotte voters should be given the chance to vote for Cannon’s replacement in the upcoming November election.
“I want Charlotte and the voters to have their voice. That’s what I want,” says Peacock.
Peacock says he feels like he was given a fair shake in the election. He would not say if plans to run for Mayor in 2015.
