Cho points to his life's many leadership roles

Chapel Hill mayoral candidate Augustus Cho is a Republican in a predominantly Democratic town.

But he said his affiliation shouldn’t have a bearing in the nonpartisan race.

“I am not a single-cause candidate, nor am I an ideologue,” Cho said. “It’s not about one party or another. No party has a monopoly on solutions or on problems.”

He is one of four candidates for the seat Kevin Foy will vacate in December. The others are Matt Czajkowski, Mark Kleinschmidt and Kevin Wolff.

Cho said his background of leadership, which includes leading the Orange County Republican Party, makes him the most qualified candidate.

“As a retired pastor, I’ve led the flock,” Cho said. “As a former county chairman, I’ve led the party.”

He also ran in the 2008 Republican primary to challenge U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C., but lost the primary to B.J. Lawson.

Cho suggests revitalizing Franklin Street by closing one block on each side of Columbia Street to traffic and converting it into an outdoor mall.

He said he envisioned the new shopping center, Franklin Street Square, as a sharp departure from the current piecemeal method of development.

“We need to try something that has not been done before,” Cho said. “To get what we’ve never had, we must do what we’ve never done.”

Cho said he would convince Franklin Street small business owners of the potential benefits of the plan, which would bring in customers other than just students.

“We need something creative and dynamic, something that has to address the problems that we now face,” Cho said.

“The residents of Chapel Hill deserve that.”

Cho was born in South Korea, but has lived in the Triangle most of his life. In 1982, he graduated from UNC with a degree in economics.

Lt. Col. Dean Bray, a United Airlines pilot, was Cho’s tae kwon do student a decade ago, and he said he considers Cho to be his mentor.

Bray said Cho’s personal life experiences, including moving from South Korea and raising his children while his wife studied law, made him a better person.

“He has empathy and the ability to know the right thing to do, whatever the situation is,” Bray said. “Any personal experiences he has help him as an individual, especially in the framework of a community.”

Melodie Parrish, Cho’s campaign manager, said his international experience would benefit Chapel Hill.

“He loves his country,” she said. “He’s driven by the desire to give back to this country that’s been so good to him.”



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