Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown, who was indicted for COVID-era loan fraud in May, got a boost Tuesday in her bid to win reelection.
One of her opponents, Montravias King, suspended his campaign and endorsed Brown for the District 3 seat, which covers west and southwest Charlotte.
If elected to a second term, Brown would be the first person elected to Charlotte City Council while under indictment.
She has three challengers in next month’s Democratic primary: Warren Turner, Joi Mayo, and King.
During a panel at the Tuesday Morning Breakfast forum, King dropped out of the race and said Brown was the best candidate in the race.
“A lot of voters in District 3 still love and admire Councilwoman Brown,” he said after the forum. “They have an emotional connection to her. I’m not going to go over that.”
Brown pleaded not guilty and said she never considered resigning or not running for a second term.
“I never once thought that I was going to lose my seat because of allegations,” Brown said Tuesday. “People have to have their day in court. And I think my constituents know that. While some support may waver, it will not be unanimous for me to lose my seat.”
The winning candidate needs to receive 30% of the vote in the primary to advance to the November general election. Whatever Democrat wins will be heavily favored in the heavily Democratic district. Republican James Bowers is running.
King’s decision came after he finished third in voting for the coveted endorsement of the Black Political Caucus.
The BPC hasn’t released official results yet, but Mayo, an activist who works for Trees Charlotte, reportedly received 46 votes to Brown’s 45 votes.
Brown said she knows of at least one of her supporters who asked for a BPC ballot, but didn’t receive one. She said that needs to be fixed.
The BPC declined to comment.
King said there is a meeting scheduled for Friday with candidates and the BPC to discuss the endorsement process. He said there should be a revote, and he said his supporters in the caucus should back Brown.
