Let the "jockeying" begin for Mayor Vi Lyles' seat
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While politicians publicly praised Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles on Thursday following the news about her resignation, the behind-the-scenes campaigns to replace her are likely already underway.
Why it matters: An interim mayor could be the expected Democratic nominee in the 2027 election, compressing what would normally be an aggressive race to lead the country's 14th-largest city into a matter of weeks.
- "I would dare say the jockeying has already begun," Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history at Catawba College, tells Axios.
Catch up quick: Lyles will step down effective June 30, roughly halfway through her term.
- Though she attributed the decision to wanting to spend time with her grandchildren, some have questioned why the 73-year-old mayor was noticeably showing up less frequently to meetings and speaking engagements, as WFAE reported.
- She has recently faced national GOP attacks following the high-profile stabbing on the LYNX Blue Line last August.
- "The mayor's position — while seemingly, on paper, a part-time position — is really a full-time job," Bitzer said. "They are the point person for any issues that arise, whether positive or negative, in the city."
- In the last election, Lyles accomplished one of her major goals: to see that the historic transit referendum passed.
- Her departure comes as fresh issues emerge around I-77 South and data centers, neither of which she's taken a stark position on.
How it works: Per state statute, city council must appoint a Democrat to fill Lyles' vacancy, since the replacement must be a member of the same party.
- "They could potentially bring somebody from the outside and simply say, 'You're going to be a caretaker,'" Bitzer says. But he adds it's more likely they would choose somebody internally.
- Currently, James "Smuggie" Mitchell Jr. serves as mayor pro tempore and may assume the mayoral powers during Lyles' absence, including if a replacement isn't named by June 30.
- Lyles said she will not make any immediate endorsements for her successor.
Inside the room: Among the names that have already been circulating for the mayor's race are Dimple Ajmera, Victoria Watlington, Malcolm Graham, JD Mazuera Arias, Mitchell and Dante Anderson, who previously served as mayor pro tem.
- "I want to thank Mayor Lyles for her years of service to Charlotte," Ajmera said in a statement. She continued: "Right now, my focus is on continuing the work residents expect from us."
- "Mayor Lyles made history as Charlotte's first Black woman mayor, and she carried that distinction in service to the people of Charlotte," Watlington wrote in an email to constituents. "That legacy belongs to all of us."
Flashback: This is not the first time in Charlotte's recent history that a mayor has vacated the seat early. Council has gone down both the internal and "caretaker" routes before.
- Internal: In 2013 Anthony Foxx resigned to take the role of U.S. secretary of Transportation. Councilwoman Patsy Kinsey was immediately appointed the new mayor.
- Caretaker: Dan Clodfelter was sworn in as mayor in 2014 after Patrick Cannon's arrest on federal corruption charges. At the time, Clodfelter was a state senator, but he had previously served on council.
The bottom line: A council appointee doesn't guarantee victory in November 2027. But as we've seen with Lyles' multiple election sweeps, incumbency is historically a powerful advantage in Charlotte.