Former Charlotte City Council member Lynn Wheeler — still one of the best-known names in local politics 20 years after leaving office — died Saturday at age 80 after being diagnosed with cancer.
Wheeler, a Republican, was first elected to council in 1989. She served for 14 years.
Wheeler's near decade-and-a-half of service covered a time when the city was evenly divided politically, and she represented a pro-business, pro-growth agenda. She was named by her colleagues as mayor pro tem.
During her time in office, she served with Republican Pat McCrory.
The most pivotal moment of her council service came in 2001. Charlotte voters rejected a plan to spend more than $300 million to build an uptown arena, as well as arts and cultural projects.
But the City Council, led in part by Wheeler, moved forward with building the city-funded Spectrum Center anyway. It opened in 2005.
The blowback from the arena decision cost Wheeler to lose her reelection bid in 2003.
The decision to build the arena, however, helped the city land a new NBA team after the original Hornets left for New Orleans, and it allowed the city to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention (and be selected for the COVID-curtailed 2020 Republican National Convention).
Wheeler later served as a political commentator at WBTV.
Former Mecklenburg Commissioner Matthew Ridenhour said Wheeler had been diagnosed with cancer last week. She died days later.
