Step Up for Valdese candidates win mayoral, council member races

Following a sweeping win at the polls, all four Step Up for Valdese candidates emphasized the same priorities for the town: completing the public safety facilities project and repaving the streets.

The slate of candidates included newcomers Keith Huffman for mayor and Shannon Radabaugh for Ward 1, and Ward 2 and 3 incumbents Melinda Zimmerman and Rexanna Lowman. Zimmerman was the only unopposed candidate.

Radabaugh said the four were gathered at Twin Brothers Pizza in Valdese on Tuesday evening as the results came in.

“We were all very excited, and we knew that it wasn’t just a win for the Step Up team,” Radabaugh said Wednesday morning. “We felt that it was a win for Valdese as a whole community.”

The candidates thanked their campaign team for all their work.

“I could not be more proud of our volunteers, and what they meant to us, from standing out in the cold at the polling sites to handing out signs to flyers,” Huffman said. “They were instrumental.”

Lowman said the No. 1 priority is the public safety facilities project, which has been ongoing since 2018.

“We have to get this project completed for our police and fire (departments),” Lowman said. “Also, for our citizens’ safety, we have to have adequate facilities for our police and fire.”

The police and fire departments originally existed in the same building. In 2024, both were relocated due to the building’s deteriorating condition. The council has purchased several properties, sold one of those properties, and signed and canceled several contracts regarding the project. Now, D. R. Reynolds is examining four possible options moving forward, which will be presented to the new council once the company has determined the viability of each option. The council will then decide how to move forward.

At a previous meeting, Town Manager Todd Herms estimated D. R. Reynolds may return with findings in December or January.

Another one of the group’s priorities is repaving the streets. Radabaugh said that project was put on the back burner due to Hurricane Helene. The project would be in partnership with the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT), which has focused the majority of its efforts on western North Carolina for the last year as the region rebuilds.

Each candidate said they look forward to serving the residents of Valdese.