Election Day 2025: 6 races we're watching in Charlotte
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On Nov. 4, Charlotte voters will elect city council and school board representatives, and make a potentially transformational decision on the countywide transportation sales tax.
Why it matters: Local elections are often overlooked and result in low turnout, but they can greatly affect how our tax dollars are prioritized and how the region grows.
How it works: Polls are open 6:30am to 7:30pm. Registered voters should go to their assigned polling place. Find yours here.
Here are the six stories we're watching on election night.
1. Will the transportation referendum pass?
As Charlotte grows, it's widely agreed that the city needs a stronger public transit network to stave off worsening traffic.
But there's debate over whether a 1-cent transportation tax, dubbed "regressive" by critics, is the right way to get there.
- Much of the opposition may arise from east Charlotte and Matthews. The transit plan excludes the eastern portion of the Silver Line light rail. There's also concern that the Gold Line streetcar extension will wreak construction havoc on Central Avenue, hurting businesses.
If the tax passes, though, it could be the catalyst for major investment. The tax is estimated to generate $19.4 billion over 30 years for road, bike, pedestrian, rail and bus projects.
- The 25-mile Red Line commuter rail, from Uptown to the Lake Norman towns, would be the first major rail project to get underway. It would take three decades to build, with an unknown start date.
If the referendum fails, it may reappear on a future ballot.
2. Will a council seat flip to blue?
We've asked this same question for at least the past two elections.
Tariq Bokhari narrowly held onto the District 6 seat by just a few hundred votes in 2023 and 2022. He served as one of only two Republicans on the 11-member council for years, representing the SouthPark area.
- But he stepped down in the spring to take a role with the Trump administration. His wife, Krista Bokhari, is running for his former seat.
Krista Bokhari is up against Democrat Kimberly Owens, a lawyer who's advocated with groups like Moms Demand Action and Planned Parenthood.
District 6 is one of the last remaining competitive areas in Charlotte for the GOP. It's essentially evenly split between registered Democrats and Republicans, with unaffiliated voters making up 43% of the population.
If this seat flips blue, it will be hard for the GOP to win it back. Charlotte may then only have one Republican (Ed Driggs, who's unopposed) on council, unless ...
3. Can Edwin Peacock stay on council?
Peacock, the city's last Republican at-large council member from 2007 to 2011, was appointed in a tie-breaking vote to fill the District 6 seat vacated by Tariq Bokhari.
So, he has the experience and some renewed name recognition. But will it be enough to disrupt the status quo and oust one of the four sitting at-large Democrats?
- Misun Kim, a former Republican mayoral candidate, is also running at large.
4. Will voters protest Mayor Vi Lyles?
Vi Lyles has the advantage in the mayoral race as the Democratic incumbent.
- However, she has taken heat this year for approving a $305,000 settlement with the police chief in a closed-door meeting, sparking transparency concerns.
- She's also been blamed for Charlotte's crime, especially in the wake of the Aug. 22 light rail stabbing.
While Lyles is still well-positioned for another win, we're watching to see whether her margins take a hit. Here are her past mayoral election results:
- November 2023: 73.64% (64,564 ballots) against Misun Kim (R) and Rob Yates (L)
- July 2022: 68.49% (49,624 ballots) against Stephanie de Sarachaga-Bilbao (R)
- November 2019: 77.25% (70,886 ballots) against David Michael Rice (R)
- November 2017: 59.15% (72,073 ballots) against Kenny Smith (R)
5. Can an unaffiliated candidate make waves?
In District 3, Joi Mayo successfully ousted councilwoman Tiawana Brown in the Democratic primaries.
- Brown was federally indicted in May, accused of using COVID pandemic relief funds for personal luxuries, including a birthday party with a horse-drawn carriage.
Mayo must face two other candidates in the general election.
- Robin Emmon, the only independent candidate, says she wants to serve without "partisan leanings." She had to collect signatures to get on the ballot.
- James Bowers, the Republican candidate, has unsuccessfully run before in this Democratic-dominant district.
6. Will the Democratic Party help oust its own incumbent?
School board races are nonpartisan, so you don't see a "D" or "R" next to candidates' names. But the Democratic Party hands out "blue ballots" outside the polls so voters know who they're with.
Melissa Easley is currently serving school board as a Democrat in District 1. But her own party may hurt her reelection prospects by excluding her from the blue ballot.
- MeckDems is endorsing Charlitta Hatch, the other Democrat in the race, instead.
- The decision came after Easley, the school board's only LGBTQ representative, made controversial comments online following Charlie Kirk's death.
Bill Fountain, a former teacher, is also running. A Republican who's run before unsuccessfully, he says CMS prioritizes "social and political agendas over core academics."