Perhaps the most important endorsement in Mecklenburg elections is from the Black Political Caucus.
With most races decided in the Democratic primary — where roughly half of the voters are Black — the BPC endorsement is a big boost for candidates who get it. While it’s not quite a guarantee of victory, it’s not too far off either.
But School Board member Shamaiye Haynes this week criticized the BPC in an email. She wrote the organization’s actions look like “pay to play” — shutting out candidates who don’t make contributions to the organization as a “thank you” for an endorsement.
“Demanding money tied to election activity and threatening exclusion from forums or meetings if that money is not paid raises serious legal concerns under state law,” Haynes wrote to BPC members Wednesday. “In simple terms, it can look like pay-to-play. That means pay money or lose access. That is a line we cannot afford to blur as an organization.”
She wrote that it’s understandable for a member who hasn’t paid their annual dues to lose their voting privileges.
“What is not appropriate is demanding money tied to an endorsement or specific election activities and saying pay this or you cannot participate,” she wrote.
Here’s the context: It’s common for candidates who receive the BPC endorsement to then make a contribution to the organization. While never explicitly required, making a donation has long been considered good form. That money helps the BPC make promotion materials and pay people at the polls, who go on to help those BPC-endorsed candidates win.
Some candidates contribute without hesitation. Over the years, some have grumbled privately about it.
Haynes, who is Black, received the BPC endorsement before last November’s election. She easily defeated Juanrique Hall to win her District 2 seat.
She had run for an at-large seat in 2023 with the BPC's backing, but fell short. Last year’s win was her first successful race.
Haynes declined to comment for this story. She wrote that “I want to make sure the membership has had the time to consider the email and take swift action.”
The dust-up started a week ago, when BPC Chair Jocelyn Nolley emailed Haynes and said she needed to pay the group money. Nolley wrote that Haynes owed “outstanding administrative fees related to the November 2024 General Election.”
The email continued: “The Black Political Caucus of Charlotte worked diligently to support your campaign, and we value the collaboration and engagement throughout that process. With that in mind, we wanted to reach out directly to determine whether there has been an issue or if this may simply be an oversight.”
The email said her membership couldn’t be renewed until all outstanding administrative fees are received.
It appears Haynes needed to pay a membership fee of $55 as well as a $350 payment for unspecified fees, perhaps related to the 2025 election.
Haynes wrote Nolley and said, “The North Carolina State Board of Elections has cautioned organizations against pay-to-participate structures that condition candidate access or political opportunities on payment. At minimum, the language and structure of your email expose the organization to avoidable legal and ethical risk.”
She also questioned Nolley’s appointment to the 27-member board of the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority, which was created after Mecklenburg voters approved a sales tax increase in November. The BPC backed the tax.
Nolley told WFAE she has no comment “as this is an internal matter.”
Former BPC Chair Colette Forest said the issue needs to be resolved.
“This is an unfortunate situation in a very critical election year that we as Black voters need to be vigorously participating in, and we don’t need any distractions,” she said. “We don’t need to disenfranchise our own officials from casting their ballots internally.”
