{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nTolulope Olayinka Omokaiye is a candidate for Raleigh City Council District C, running as a nonpartisan candidate in 2026. This is her first run for elected office.\n\nHer key campaign issues include expanding and improving public transit, implementing affordable and mixed-income housing across Raleigh, and investing in youth development and mentorship programs.\n\n## Background and education\nOmokaiye grew up experiencing poverty and homelessness, experiences that shaped her commitment to community investment. She earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from North Carolina Central University and a master's degree in business administration from Meredith College.\n\n## Career\nOmokaiye is the Founder and CEO of EVOLVE Mentoring, Inc., a nonprofit she founded more than 13 years ago that provides mentoring programs for Black and Brown youth with citywide, statewide, and regional reach. She served for eight years on the Raleigh Transit Authority, becoming the first woman and/or person of color to chair that body.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Candidate Info \u2013 Tolulope Omokaiye \u2013 Wake County Democratic Party](https://www.wakedems.org/election-central-2024/candidate-info-tolulope-omokaiye/)\n","campaigns":[{"contest":"raleigh_city_council_district_c","county":"wake","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"City Of Raleigh City Council District C"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Tolulope","fullname":"Tolulope Olayinka Omokaiye","lastname":"Omokaiye","middlename":"Olayinka","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"raleigh_city_council_district_c","contest_title":"City Of Raleigh City Council District C","county":"wake","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"wake","office_key":"city_council","office_title":"City Council Member","party":"","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"wake","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"raleigh_city_council_district_c","contest_title":"City Of Raleigh City Council District C","county":"wake","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"wake","office_key":"city_council","office_title":"City Council Member","party":"","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"city_council","office_title":"City Council Member","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"terms":[],"token":"d27c58493b723159"}