Telephone technician joins City Council race

7/2/2009

Joseph Carter, a telephone company technician, announced yesterday he will seek a seat on Toledo City Council.

The Lucas County Board of Elections certified Mr. Carter s petitions for the Sept. 15 primary on Monday.

Also certified Monday was Terry Shankland. Previously certified to the ballot was Mark Clark.

Mr. Carter graduated from Swanton High School and served in the Army. He is a technician for Verizon, working in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio.

Mr. Carter, 36, a registered Democrat, said he was president of his Communications Workers of America local for 5 years. He has never run for public political office.

I think there s a lot of things that are broke in the city and some of the focus [of the spending] is in the wrong direction. We really need to worry about jobs and safety, Mr. Carter said.

Six at-large seats on City Council are on the ballot this year. The top 12 vote-getters in the primary election will face off Nov. 3.