Elections 2026: Who filed to run in Mecklenburg County

How it works: Voters will cast ballots in their respective parties in the Tuesday, March 3, 2026, primary election. The winning candidates will advance to the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.

This story will be updated as new information about candidates becomes available. Note that an emoji next to a candidate's name indicates they're an incumbent.

U.S. Senate

State of play: Sen. Thom Tillis announced in June 2025 that he would not seek reelection after his opposition to the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" drew attacks and promises of a challenge from President Trump.

🔵 Democratic primary

• Roy Cooper, the former North Carolina governor, is the Democratic favorite to challenge the GOP for the open Senate seat. In 2024, Cooper was floated as a possible vice presidential candidate to Kamala Harris.
• Daryl Farrow
• Marcus W. Williams is a Lumberton attorney who has unsuccessfully vied for various offices, from governor to attorney general.
• Orrick Quick, a pastor who has previously run for the High Point City Council, told WUNC, "We have to elect officials who know how to legislate when you have experienced the struggles of life."
• Justin Dues describes himself as an "anti-establishment, reform-focused" candidate. He's run previously in the Democratic primaries for Senate.
• Robert Colon is another repeat U.S. Senate candidate. Focused on crime, his slogan is "Creating a Safer America For Everyone."

🔴 Republican primary

• Michael Whatley, the Trump-endorsed chair of the Republican National Committee, previously led the North Carolina GOP.
• Michele Morrow previously lost her race for North Carolina superintendent to former superintendent of Guilford County Schools Mo Green. Morrow attended the Jan. 6 riot and once said former President Obama should face a firing squad, later saying it was a "joke."
• Elizabeth Temple is a former substitute teacher from Smithfield. She was accused of making offensive comments to elementary students, then publicly defended herself at a Wake County school board meeting, as WRAL reported.
• Don Brown is an author, former Navy JAG officer and attorney who represented participants in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to his campaign website. He previously ran for Congress.
• Margot Dupre
• Thomas Johnson
• Richard Dansie

Libertarian

• Shannon W. Bray previously ran for U.S. Senate, governor and lieutenant governor.

U.S. House of Representatives

District 8

Republican

• 🏛️ Mark Harris, a Baptist pastor, was elected to this position in 2024. He had previously won a 2018 run for Congress, but conceded and gave up the seat amid allegations that a political operative he'd hired cooked up an absentee ballot-harvesting scheme in rural Bladen County.
• Harris considers himself a "pivotal figure in the pro-life movement" and wants stronger border security.

🔵 Democratic primary

• Kevin Clark
• Colby Watson is a federal contractor whose issues include pushing corporate investors out of the housing market and improving the healthcare system, which he calls "criminal."
• Jesse Oppenheim is an attorney for a health care software company. Public safety is among his priorities, and he wants funding for first responders and stronger gun background checks "while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners."

District 12

🔵 Democratic primary

• 🏛️ Alma Adams is in her fifth full term in Congress, representing most of Charlotte. Her "4Hs" are affordable and accessible healthcare, access to healthy and nutritious food, fair and affordable housing, and a quality, first-class education.

• At 79 years old, her doctor gave her the green light to run again for a sixth term, she told WBTV.
• Monaca Maye Johnson

🔴 Republican primary

• Jack Codiga is a "finance professional" who wants to end all welfare programs, including "the godfather of all Ponzi schemes (Social Security)," require voter ID in all states, and limit immigration work visas, among other issues listed on his website.
• Addul Ali rivaled Adams in 2024. He founded the NC GOP's Black Conservative Voices Coalition and co-hosts a conservative podcast.

District 14

🔴 Republican primary

• 🏛️ Tim Moore, North Carolina's House Speaker for a decade, was elected to this newly created district in 2024 after several controversies. Moore serves on the House Committees on Financial Services and the Budget.
• Kate Barr changed her party affiliation to run as a Republican, The Assembly reports. She ran for the state House in 2024 with the slogan "Kate Barr Can't Win," in an attempt to call attention to the gerrymandered map. This time she's actually trying. Her campaign slogan is "Kate Barr Can Win."

🔵 Democratic primary

• Brent Caldwell, a real estate attorney, says Trump has failed with his trade policies and wants to "advance an economic vision that prioritizes working people."
• Lakesha Womack is the founder of a consulting firm for small businesses. Her top issues are affordable health care, economic mobility and education, including public school funding.
• Ahmid Kargbo

N.C. State Senate

District 37

Republican

• 🏛️ Vickie Sawyer is seeking another term representing Iredell County, Cornelius and northern Huntersville. She chairs the Senate Transportation Committee.

🔵 Democratic primary

• Raygan J. Angel
• Precinda Bjorgen

District 38

• 🏛️ Mujtaba Mohammed (D)

District 39

• 🏛️ DeAndrea Salvador (D)

District 40

• 🏛️ Joyce Waddell (D) is seeking a seventh term. She was one of four Democrats who voted for the Senate GOP's budget proposal in the spring, hoping to be involved in negotiations moving forward.
• Bobbie Shields (R) ran for Senate in 2018, 2020 and 2022. He's a former county manager. According to a Charlotte Observer questionnaire, he supports expanded educational options, such as charter schools, but also wants adequate resources for public schools. He supports a "ban on abortion, with some exceptions."

District 41

• 🏛️ Caleb Theodros (D) is seeking a second term. He previously chaired the Black Political Caucus, one of Charlotte's most influential political organizations.
• Kevin Gray (R)

District 42

• 🏛️ Woodson Bradley (D), a realtor, is running to serve a second term. During her 2024 run, Bradley was linked to an illegal pyramid scheme. Bradley said she was an independent contractor and uninvolved in the case against the company. She has sponsored bills to increase funding for Medicaid maternal support and update laws to empower first responders to bargain for better practices and equipment — but with little success in the Republican-controlled General Assembly.
• Stacie McGinn (R), a former Bank of America executive, is again challenging Sen. Bradley, whom she lost to by a final margin of 209 votes after a recount in 2024. McGinn is a supporter of parental choice in schools and says she "takes a firm stance on crime."

N.C. House of Representatives

District 88

• 🏛️ Mary Belk (D) is running for a sixth term. She's a breast cancer survivor and has sponsored relevant health care legislation.
• Ray Craig (R)

District 92

• 🏛️ Terry Brown (D)

District 98

• 🏛️ Beth Helfrich (D), a former teacher, is seeking a second term and has authored bills to protect local zoning control, an important issue in her areas of Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville. Her priorities include restoring abortion access and protecting birth control and IVF.
• John Rhodes (R) served in this position from 2002 to 2006, until Tillis won the seat.

District 99

🔵 Democratic primary

• 🏛️ Nasif Majeed is seeking a fifth term. He's a former eight-year Charlotte City Council member. He came under some fire with his party this year for helping the GOP get enough votes to override Democratic Gov. Josh Stein on legislation that rolled back Duke Energy's carbon emissions reduction mandate and a bill that upset transgender rights activists.
• Veleria Levy is a health care consultant who says she has experience fighting bills that target "trans youth, reproductive freedom, and access to care."
• Tucker Neal

District 100

• 🏛️ Julia Greenfield (D)

District 101

• 🏛️ Carolyn Logan (D)

District 102

• 🏛️ Becky Carney (D) is running for a 13th term. She has sponsored legislation concerning arts education, legalizing medical marijuana and heart health issues.
• Daniel Schmidt (R)

District 103

• 🏛️ Laura Budd (D)

District 104

• 🏛️ Brandon Lofton (D), a public finance attorney and former chair of the Council for Children's Rights, is seeking a fifth term. In September 2025, Gov. Stein appointed him to the Southern Regional Education Board Legislative Advisory Council.
• Trina Boyd (R) is a former Democratic candidate for Mecklenburg Democratic commissioner, who appears to have changed her party affiliation.

District 105

🔴 Republican primary

• 🏛️ Tricia Cotham is most known for switching parties from Democrat to Republican in 2023, handing Republicans a long-awaited legislative supermajority and enough votes to pass their first post-Roe abortion bill. Because of her flip, this will be one of the state's most closely watched races, as some Democrats are hell-bent on taking back the seat.
• In 2025, Cotham sponsored the Mecklenburg County transportation sales tax bill. Her support was instrumental in moving the plan forward after years of sluggish progress.
• Kelly Van Horn, a teacher, has a history of voting in Democratic primaries. She changed her registration to Republican in September 2025. She told the Charlotte Observer she'd be an independent member of the legislature if elected.

Democrat

• Ken McCool is a former Matthews commissioner who is opposed to the Mecklenburg County transit plan.

District 106

🔵 Democratic primary

• 🏛️ Carla Cunningham, a seven-term representative, is another Charlotte Democrat who was rebuked by members of her own party this year for helping Republicans override Gov. Stein's vetoes. She voted for a bill that requires sheriffs to comply with ICE. Explaining her decision, she made a controversial speech, stating, "All cultures are not equal. Some immigrants come and believe they can function in isolation, refusing to adapt. I suggest they must assimilate. Adapt to the culture they wish to live in."
• Vermanno Bowman, a former military police officer and a member of Indivisible Charlotte, challenged Cunningham previously in the 2024 primary, losing with 15% of the votes. He says he wants to hold Duke Energy accountable. (Cunningham voted to call off Duke Energy's goal to reduce carbon emissions by 70% by 2030.) His other issues include advocating for Medicare for all, affordable housing and increasing the state's minimum wage.
• Rodney Sadler has expressed his disapproval of Cunningham, accusing her of laying the groundwork for Border Patrol's Charlotte immigration raids in November by passing House Bill 318, which requires sheriffs to comply with ICE detainers. He's a minister who worked with Rev. William Barber's Moral Monday Movement.

District 107

• 🏛️ Aisha Dew (D)

District 112

• 🏛️ Jordan Lopez (D)

Mecklenburg County Sheriff

🔵 Democratic primary

• 🏛️ Garry McFadden is seeking reelection despite numerous allegations of running a toxic workplace and an unsafe jail. He made headlines throughout 2025 for his public sparring with ICE. Prominent Republicans like North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall have said McFadden is the reason Border Patrol targeted Charlotte, accusing him of blocking ICE detainers and releasing "criminal illegal aliens right back onto the streets."
• McFadden has become a fixture in local law enforcement throughout his four-decade career. He gained recognition as a detective for starring in the reality TV show "I Am Homicide" in 2016. President Biden honored him with the President's Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Rodney Collins worked for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office for 30 years and retired. He says he wants to reestablish a healthy workplace culture at the sheriff's office and address vacancies.
• Antwain Nance worked in the Mecklenburg County Detention Center for two years a decade ago and has since represented a labor union. He views his outside experience as a positive qualification. He wants to reopen the county's youth detention facility and get deputies involved in on-the-ground law enforcement with CMPD, he told the Charlotte Observer.
• Ricky Robbins is a sergeant with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and has taught criminal justice at Central Piedmont Community College. He has said his priorities are to keep inmates and detention officers safe and hire and retain staff. He has star-powered endorsements from Carolina Panthers players Chuba Hubbard and Derek Brown and former linebacker Luke Kuechly.

Mecklenburg County District Attorney

• 🏛️ Spencer Merriweather (D)

Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners

State of play: Residents will elect three at-large commissioners, representing all of Mecklenburg County, and one representative for their district.

At-Large

🔵 Democratic primary

• 🏛️ Leigh Altman, an attorney, is running for a fourth term. She's the vice chair and has been influential in the passage of the county's transportation tax increase as a member of the Metropolitan Transit Commission.
• 🏛️ Arthur Griffin, who has served since his 2022 election, is the retired senior vice president for McGraw-Hill Education. He also chaired the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education from 1997 to 2002.
• 🏛️ Yvette Townsend-Ingram was first elected in 2024, upsetting longtime incumbent Pat Cotham, who was facing pushback from Rep. Tricia Cotham, her daughter, switching parties. During her first term, Townsend-Ingram was arrested for a DWI and pleaded guilty in December 2024.
• Felicia Thompkins has run for county commission before. She says she'd prioritize mental health services, aging-in-place policies and transit access.
• Olivia Scott previously ran for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.
• Heather Morrow was arrested while protesting Charlotte's immigration raids in November. ICE claimed she tried to jump on an agent's back, but a bystander video released later did not show that. Her felony charge was dismissed, according to the Charlotte Observer.
• Toni Emehel ran for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education in 2025 but lost to Anna London.
• Sharif Hannan
• Leslie Allen
• Nichel Dunlap

District 1

State of play: Four-term commissioner Elaine Powell is not seeking reelection.

🔵 Democratic primary

• Morris (Mac) McAdoo
• Adam Pasiak
• Jessica Finkel

Republican

• Aaron Marin

District 2

🔵 Democratic primary

• 🏛️ Vilma Leake is a longtime commissioner, first elected in 2008. In 2024, she made headlines for calling chair Dunlap "Black Donald Trump" after he gave another commissioner instead of her the chance to speak at a meeting.
• Mo Drayton is the former Mecklenburg County Democratic Party executive director, who resigned while comparing her experience at the organization to that of "professional Black women during the Jim Crow era." She chairs the Mecklenburg Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and served as interim chair of the Arts & Science Council. She was in Atrium Health's leadership for more than 20 years.

Republican

• Angela White Edwards ran in 2024 without success.

District 3

🔵 Democratic primary

• 🏛️ George Dunlap is a longtime commissioner, serving six of his 17 years as chair. He's a retired law enforcement officer and currently serves as vice president of the National Association of County Commissioners. He says he's a strong supporter of business investment grants and preparing students for the workforce (including non-public school students), having formerly served on the board of education for over 13 years.
• Phil Carey, the owner of a property management company, serves on the county's Board of Equalization and Review, hearing appeals on assessed property values. He says he's running because "District 3 deserves leadership that shows up ... not a representative who's held the seat for over thirty years with little to show for it." His platform includes reopening juvenile justice facilities and increasing school-based counseling.

District 4

• 🏛️ Mark Jerrell (D)

District 5

State of play: Laura Meier, first elected in 2020, is not seeking reelection.

• Charles DeLoach (D)

District 6

• 🏛️ Susan Rodriguez-McDowell (D)

N.C. Supreme Court

Seat 1

• 🏛️ Anita Earls (D)
• Sarah Stevens (R)

N.C. Court of Appeals

Seat 1

Democrat

• 🏛️ John Arrowood

🔴 Republican primary

• Matt Smith
• Michael Byrne

Seat 2

• 🏛️ Toby Hampson (D)
• George Cooper Bell (R)

Seat 3

🔵 Democratic primary

• James Weldon Whalen
• Christine Marie Walczyk

Republican

• Craig Collins

Mecklenburg County Superior Court

District 26C

🔵 Democratic primary

• George Guise
• Caleb Newman

District 26F

• 🏛️ Karen Eady-Williams (D)

District 26H

• 🏛️ Elizabeth Thornton Trosch (D)

Mecklenburg County District Court

Seat 13

• 🏛️ Roderick Davis (D)

Seat 14

• 🏛️ Alyssa Levine (D)

Seat 15

• 🏛️ Jennifer Fleet (D)

Seat 16

• 🏛️ Matt Newton (D)

Seat 17

• 🏛️ Paige McThenia (D)

Seat 18

🔵 Democratic primary

• 🏛️ Cecilia Oseguera
• Habekah Cannon

Seat 19

• 🏛️ Samantha Mobley (D)

Seat 20

• 🏛️ Karen McCallum (D)

Seat 21

• 🏛️ Rhonda Patterson-Wrighten (D)

Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court

• 🏛️ Elisa Chinn Gary (D)