I’ve been paying close attention to the District E race, and after reviewing both past and present candidates, I can’t see any meaningful difference between John Cequeira and former District E Councilmember David Knight.
Both entered race without prior experience.
Just like David Knight, John Cequeira entered this race without any direct experience in city government. We saw what that lack of experience led to with Knight—pro-developer decisions and a clear disconnection from the needs of everyday citizens. Do we really want a repeat of that? The signs point to Cequeira following the same path.
Both backed by Big Developers.
Both Knight and Cequeira have received substantial financial backing from the development community. Knight’s pro-developer voting record speaks for itself, and with Cequeira pulling in money from the same sources, it’s clear where his priorities will lie. This doesn’t bode well for Raleigh residents who want balanced, thoughtful leadership that considers the needs of our entire community, not just developers.
Throughout his tenure, Knight focused heavily on Inside-the-Beltline concerns, often at the expense of the rest of District E. From what I’ve seen, Cequeira is poised to continue that narrow focus, which will leave many of our neighborhoods underserved. Raleigh is a growing city, and we need leaders who care about all of it, not just the parts where they have the most influence or where their donors reside.
Support from “Raise the rents” organization.
Another glaring similarity is the endorsement by the Triangle Apartment Association. Knight was proudly backed by this group, whose interests often run counter to those of ordinary Raleigh citizens. Cequeira has earned their endorsement as well, and that’s no coincidence. In fact, the Triangle Apartment Association has a history of using questionable tactics to influence elections. One example is their hiring of Targeted Persuasion, a political consulting firm, to run an aggressive campaign for an independent expenditure group called Triangle Government Alliance. This group, made up of apartment owners, worked outside of the candidates’ direct campaigns to push an agenda favorable to developers.
In 2019, the Triangle Apartment Association endorsed a slate of pro-developer candidates, including David Knight, and ran a campaign designed to manipulate public opinion. They even went so far as to create a fictional character, portrayed by a local actress, to star in videos and social media ads. The purpose of this campaign was to subtly sway voters on key issues like housing affordability, particularly around Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as granny flats. By using a relatable character, the Triangle Government Alliance framed the issue in a way that served their interests, ignoring the broader concerns of Raleigh citizens about development and housing policy.
What’s more troubling is that independent expenditure (IE) groups like this are not allowed to coordinate with the candidates they support, meaning all of this work was done behind the scenes, without the knowledge of those running for office. Yet, Knight benefited from this shady strategy, and now Cequeira, backed by the same interests, looks poised to follow the same playbook.
Knight supports Cerqueira with funds.
In addition, David Knight was one of Cequeira’s first donors, contributing to his campaign on February 8, 2024. With that early financial support, it’s hard not to see Cequeira as nothing more than a puppet of David Knight. If we expect anything other than the same pro-developer, anti-citizen engagement behavior that we saw during Knight’s tenure, we are likely to be disappointed.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, there’s very little difference between these two individuals. John Cequeira appears to be following closely in David Knight’s footsteps, and that means more of the same policies and priorities that fail to address the needs of our entire community. Raleigh deserves better than this.