Mayor Lyles' reelection campaign might already be a slam dunk

• No strong candidates have emerged to run against Lyles. She'd be difficult to beat, with her deep campaign coffers and powerful name recognition. Filing ends Friday at noon.

Zoom in: The only other Democrat in the primary so far is Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel, a recurring candidate who's vied unsuccessfully over the years for mayor, county commission, state house and even soil and water conservation district supervisor.

• No Republicans have filed, but the party's chances in Charlotte's mayoral race are slim, anyway. Just under 20% of Mecklenburg County voters are registered Republicans.

Zoom out: Before Lyles filed, rumors swirled about who might enter the race if she stepped aside. Jennifer Roberts, who served as Charlotte's mayor from 2015 to 2017, hinted that she'd run.

• "Waited until filing was halfway through to announce," Roberts wrote on X. "Charlotteans should have choices. It's a challenging time for our city and country. Maybe I should sign up to run again."
• As of Wednesday, Roberts has not made an announcement. She did not respond to requests for comment.

What they're saying: During her press conference at the board of elections office, I asked Lyles about Roberts' comment.

• "I thought it was kind of a cute little game," Lyles laughed. "You have to find some joy in this work at some point."

Flashback: Lyles has dominated her last three primaries, capturing roughly 85% of the votes each time.

• "No other Democratic candidate has won as large and as consistently as Vi," says Dan McCorkle, a political consultant in Charlotte.

Yes, but: Charlotte has what's known as a "weak mayor" form of government, which means the city manager (Marcus Jones) runs the city like a CEO. The city council and the mayor set policy, and the manager carries it out day-to-day.

• The mayor only votes in the event of a tie among council.

Between the lines: Lyles' decision to run for a fifth term comes as she's on the verge of cementing a legacy with the push to pass a 1-cent transportation sales tax. The revenue would fund a transformative, multi-billion-dollar mobility plan with several new rail corridors.

• Asked if she still felt passionate about the role as she initially did, Lyles said, "I still feel like this is really the right time and the right place."

• That same morning, she joined the announcement that Charlotte is hosting the 2026 MLS All-Star Game. Wins like that, she said, keep her excited about continuing to serve.
• She added that her goals, if reelected, would be to continue working on affordable housing, safety, creating opportunity for people and mobility.

The other side: Lyles' filing follows a streak of controversial decisions. She recently cast a tie-breaking vote, halting a potential study on improving airport work conditions. Also, the city's recent settlement with its retiring police chief raised transparency concerns and exposed fractures within council.

• Lyles said one of her focuses this term would be to reunite city council.
• "You all have been talking and printing all the stories about how the council members and I don't necessarily always get along," she told reporters. "That is something that bothers me as much as it bothers them."

The bottom line: City hall dysfunction doesn't "affect people at the kitchen table level," says McCorkle, the political consultant. Voters are more likely to elect a different candidate when there's overwhelming economic distress or concerns that affect their daily lives, like roads.

• "I don't think either of the things that have been going on in Charlotte this year would affect Vi at the ballot box," McCorkle said, "even if she had a strong opponent."