It’s not even the middle of January and the 2021 City Council race is already heating up.

At the Guilford County Republican Party executive committee meeting Monday, Jan. 11, former District 5 City Councilmember Tony Wilkins announced he would be running for City Council this year.

In April 2019, Wilkins announced that he would be running for mayor in 2021.  However, this week Wilkins said, “I’m leaning toward at large or district, but I am going to run.”

Wilkins said there were still a lot of variables to consider and noted that he still had plenty of time to make a decision.

On Dec. 17, District 3 City Councilmember Justin Outling announced he was running for mayor.  Although she hasn’t officially announced yet, Mayor Nancy Vaughan is expected to run for reelection.  Vaughan has been mayor since 2013 when she defeated the incumbent Mayor Robbie Perkins.  In 2015, Vaughan won reelection to a two-year term and in 2017 won reelection to a four-year term.

It is also a poorly kept secret that at large City Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter is considering running for mayor.

Wilkins served on the City Council from 2012 to 2017, when he was defeated by the current District 5 councilmember, Tammi Thurm.  Wilkins was originally appointed to fill the seat vacated by Trudy Wade when she was elected to the state Senate in 2012.  Wilkins then won election to a two-year term in 2013 and reelection in 2015.  Starting in 2017, the City Council terms were changed to four years.

There are currently a number of familiar names floating around of people considering a run for City Council.  Former District 3 City Councilmember and the President of Downtown Greensboro Inc. Zack Matheny is giving serious consideration to running for his old seat.

Former At-large City Councilmember Mike Barber, who lost a close race for reelection in 2017, is also considering running in 2021.

Robbie Perkins, who is a former mayor, former at-large city councilmember and former District 3 city councilmember could also be on the ballot.

There’s a lot of time before the October City Council primary, but it appears that there will be no lack of choices on the ballot.