Cary resident Lois Nixon announced her campaign today for Wake County Board of Education in District 9. As of 11 a.m., Nixon had not yet filed.

In a press release (DOC, 40KB), Nixon listed her experience as former director of Wake County Keep America Beautiful, and a certified environmental educator.

Meanwhile, Durham Ward 2 Councilman Howard Clement has a third challenger--relative unknown Sandra Howell, who filed this morning.

Also, Bull City Rising is reporting that Donald Hughes will challenge City Councilwoman Cora Cole-McFadden for Ward 1 in Durham.

Hughes, a frequent speaker at city and county meetings, is the son of former Councilwoman Jackie Wagstaff. As BCR notes:

Wagstaff herself lost a re-election bid for Council in 2001 to Cole-McFadden -- the very candidate her son finds himself challenging eight years later.

Hughes has spoken passionately on a wide range of topics, including education and jobs creation. He sided with developers during the contentious April 13, 2009 vote on whether to conduct a public hearing to change Jordan Lake's boundaries in order to accommodate a 164-acre mixed-use project, citing the potential for an increased tax base. Oddly, Hughes said that since Durham does not currently use Jordan Lake as a drinking-water source, the lake's water quality should not be factored into the county's decision. Durham purchased water from Jordan Lake during the 2007-08 drought.

"It's been presented time and time again that this project is going to affect water quality in Durham. Durham's water does not come from Jordan Lake; to present this as harming Durham's water quality is false," Hughes said at the meeting.

Hughes will kickoff his campaign on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., in the parking lot of the old Winn-Dixie at Hopkins Street & Alston Avenue, his campaign's Facebook page has announced.

If you want a sneak preview, a commercial under Hughes' name has been listed on YouTube, and a campaign brochure under the same name has been uploaded to scribd.com.