James Allen Joines is an American politician currently serving as the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

. In 2009, he was also appointed chairman of the North Carolina Economic Development Board.

Political career

Joines, a Democrat, was elected mayor of Winston-Salem on November 6, 2001. He defeated Republican incumbent Mayor Jack Cavanagh, Jr. by a wide margin. Before his election, Joines had served as deputy assistant city manager. Joines had been named as a possible challenger to Congresswoman

Virginia Foxx Virginia Ann Foxx ( Palmieri;Foxx, Virginia Ann
. ''Biographical Directory of ...

in North Carolina's 5th district in the 2006 election, but declined to enter the race. In the

2012 North Carolina gubernatorial election The 2012 North Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 United States presidential election, U.S. House election, statewide judicial election, Council of State election and various local elec ...

, many suggested Joines as a potential candidate in the Democratic primary, but he declined, stating that there was still work he wished to do in Winston-Salem. In the 2013 election, Joines was challenged by Gardenia Henley in the Democratic primary. His Republican opponent, James Knox, dropped out of the race in August after it was revealed he had used a

racial epithet The following is a list of ethnic slurs or ethnophaulisms or ethnic epithets that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnicity or racial group or to refer to them in a derogatory, pejorative, or oth ...

to refer to an elections worker, although his name was still on the ballot. Joines was elected to his fourth term in the general election. In the 2016 election (Winston-Salem elections had moved to even-numbered years), Joines was easily re-elected, with only a write-in candidate opposing him.

References

External links

Official biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joines, Allen University of Georgia alumni Mayors of Winston-Salem, North Carolina Living people Appalachian State University alumni North Carolina Democrats 1947 births 21st-century American politicians