Braxton Winston brings home most votes in Democratic City Council primary

On Tuesday, he received the most votes in the Democratic primary for Charlotte City Council at-large.

• Winston, Dimple Ajmera, LaWana Mayfield and James “Smuggie” Mitchell advanced in the Democratic primary for Charlotte City Council at-large — among the most-watched and the most expensive elections in the city or county.
• On the GOP side, four of the five primary candidates moved forward to the general election: David Merrill, Charlie Mulligan, Carrie Olinski and Kyle Luebke.

Why it matters: Local government has the most direct impact on our lives. City Council decides issues like major developments, incentives for companies looking to relocate, police funding, affordable housing, transportation, infrastructure and more.

What they’re saying: Mayfield, who previously served on council, thanked her supporters on Twitter. “I am ready to re-start the #Work of the People, and I am truly humbled to be able to serve you once again,” she said.

The other side: Charlotte hasn’t elected a Republican citywide in over a decade, so the four Democratic nominees have strong chances ahead of the general election.

• But local Republicans say this is the party’s best chance in recent history, with midterms not typically favoring the president’s party. Still, Republicans make up just 21% of registered voters in Mecklenburg County.
• “For the first time in a long time, I’m feeling strong for republicans in Charlotte,” District 6 council member Tariq Bokhari told Axios in a text message Tuesday evening. Bokhari helped organize a “slate” of GOP candidates for council.

Context: Winston rose to prominence as a protestor during the 2016 demonstrations against the police killing of Keith Lamont Scott. When Winston was elected five years ago, he was part of a wave of millennial newcomers to council that garnered national attention.

But by this time around, Winston is a seasoned politician. And he largely out of the spotlight in an at-large race that was riddled with controversies:

• Much of the attention was on the entry of Patrick Cannon, the former mayor who served time in jail for corruption.
• There were also numerous headlines about Mitchell, and whether he still held an ownership stake in a company that does business with the city. He abruptly resigned from council in 2021 over concerns the ownership could create a conflict of interest.

• And Mayfield has made controversial comments surrounding the police and 9/11.

By the numbers: Here’s the full breakdown of how the Democratic nominees fared:

• Winston: 44,385 votes, or 21.1%
• Ajmera: 39,727 votes, or 18.9%
• Mayfield: 37,120 votes, or 17.7%
• Mitchell: 34,084 votes, or 16.2%

The other two Democrats, current District 1 representative Larken Egleston and former Mayor Patrick Cannon, came up short.

• Egleston came in second to last with 29,382 votes, or 14%. Cannon received 25,616 votes, or 12.2%.

On the GOP side, Merrill earned the most votes: 19,450 or 24%.

• “There is no better feeling, as a first time candidate, than having total strangers leave a polling location and telling you that they voted for you,” Merrill told Axios in a texted statement.

Here’s how the other GOP candidates performed:

• Mulligan: 18,377 or 22.7%
• Olinski: 16,788 or 20.7%
• Luebke: 16,076 19.9%

David Michael Rice, who did not advance from the Republican field, received 10,255 votes, or 12.7%.

What’s next: Voters will choose four council members in the general election on July 26.