Summer is here, and Charlotte politics officially kicks off Monday. Candidate filing for the City of Charlotte’s municipal elections opens Monday, July 7, and runs through Friday, July 18. All 11 city council seats and the Charlotte mayor's seat will be on the ballot, along with six school board seats.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles declined to directly address whether she would run for reelection during a May appearance on Charlotte Talks. In the episode, she said: “You know, as long as this community believes that we have — I have — something to contribute, then I will always try to do my very best to serve.”
Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown, who is under federal indictment on wire fraud charges, will face at least two challengers for her District 3 seat if she files to run. Brown has said she intends to run, following a "test" email indicating she would not seek reelection in June.
There is also the question of who will run for the District 6 seat vacated by former city council member Tariq Bokhari. He resigned in April.
We look at what’s at stake in the upcoming elections and what to look out for as candidates file for office. We also discuss voter turnout, which was about 15.5% in the last off-year contest in 2023.
GUESTS:
Joe Bruno, reporter at WSOC-TV
Steve Harrison, politics reporter at WFAE
Tony Mecia, founder and executive editor of The Ledger
