After heated criticism from both local officials and residents, Chapel Hill mayoral candidate Kevin Wolff has received his first endorsement for the upcoming election.
The endorsement came from the Orange County Republican Party, which also endorsed and made a donation to Wolff’s mayoral campaign in the 2009 election.
Wolff sparked controversy last month after releasing a flier criticizing the upcoming relocation of the Inter-Faith Council For Social Service men’s homeless shelter.
The fliers state that a child will be assaulted, molested, kidnapped or killed at Homestead Park when the shelter moves to its new location near the park.
Stephen Xavier, director of public relations and media for the Orange County Republican Party, said the party decided to endorse Wolff because of his campaign platforms.
Xavier said Wolff’s smart growth plan, which would lay out a method to help businesses work closely with the town, appealed to the group.
“We’re confident (the endorsement) is going to help him considerably, because there is a fairly large number of conservative Democrats and Republicans that have been very apathetic and given up on the vote,” he said.
“We feel our endorsement will encourage those who have been apathetic.”
Two other Republicans running in this election — Augustus Cho, a Chapel Hill Town Council candidate, and Kris Castellano, a candidate for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools board — did not ask for the party’s endorsement.
