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GREENSBORO — The gloves are off in the City Council's District 5, and voters can expect a close fight to the finish Nov. 6 in the general election.

For the first time in her 16 years in public office, Councilwoman Sandy Carmany leaves the primary not as the top vote-getter. Carmany was outpaced by 127 votes by former county Commissioner Trudy Wade in unofficial results.

Though disappointed, Carmany said she had saved the majority of her resources for the general election and a matchup against Wade.

"This is the first time since my initial run in '91 that I've had an opponent with name recognition and previous political experience," Carmany said. "She's run a strong campaign. She's done more outreach than I have to this point."

Day care owner Angela Carmichael came in third and was eliminated.

Both Carmany and Wade have elective experience, with Carmany's 16 years on the council to Wade's five with the commissioners.

On issues, both want many of the same things for the city, including a revitalized High Point Road, and have plans to address neighborhood issues.

But the similarities stop when it come to police issues, including rebuilding trust in the Greensboro Police Department amid the investigation into former Chief David Wray and solutions to the city's gang problem.

Carmany has said most of the problems with the police department, which have stemmed from allegations of race discrimination, have been solved under new Chief Tim Bellamy.

She supports City Manager Mitchell Johnson's handling of Wray's resignation and the investigations afterward.

Wade has said she's disturbed by the way the Wray situation was handled, noting that the council and other city leaders haven't been as forthcoming as they could.

She also said city employees shouldn't be locked out of their offices, as Wray was.

Wade's campaign has also publicly lashed out against Carmany about the recent spotlight placed on gang problems in the city.

In a pamphlet sent to District 5 voters, Wade references a Highland Park Neighborhood Association meeting on the growing gang problem, which Carmany attended in March 2005 and wrote about on her blog.

The pamphlet says, "Sandy Carmany has fiddled while Greensboro burned for nearly 21/2 years," alleging Carmany and the current council did little about the gang problem until it was highlighted in the media recently.

Carmany called the attack "totally unfair" Tuesday night.

"That was the unveiling of the effort being put into place right now as far as the education and intervention effort," Carmany said.

"I supported to it then, and I've been saying to folks, 'Why do you think that I fought so hard to get those additional 32 to 35 officers in the budget?' I was aware of the coming needs, and I took action to do something about it."

Staff writer Margaret Moffett Banks contributed to this story.

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or rseals@news-record.com