Charlotte City Council Democratic primary Tuesday

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Democrats and unaffiliated voters will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their votes in the Charlotte City Council Democratic primary. There are no Republicans with primary challenges.

Democratic and unaffiliated voters will have their say in the Charlotte mayoral and at-large races. There are also primaries for Districts 2, 3, 4 and 5.

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Only 8,467 people voted early. There are more than 600,000 registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters in Mecklenburg County.

In the mayoral race, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles is running for a fourth term. Lucille Puckett, an anti-violence advocate, is running for mayor for the fifth time. The winner will face Republican Misun Kim and Libertarian Rob Yates in the general election.

Four current councilmembers are among the six people running for at-large: Dimple Ajmera, James Mitchell, LaWana Slack-Mayfield, and Victoria Watlington. Also seeking one of the four slots is community activist Charlene Henderson El and UNC Charlotte student Ben Copeland, who would be the first Gen Z member of the council.

“We can make a change,” Copeland said. “We can make a big change. If just a few more people come out to vote, it will make a huge difference.”

The winners of Districts 2, 4 and 5 will serve on the Charlotte City Council for two years. These races have no Republican challengers in November.

“We have what we need on the east side to make what we need to make on the east side get done but we have to elect the right leader,” District 5 candidate Vinroy Reid said.

Reid is one of three people running in District 5. He’s an immigrant from Jamaica and says it is a privilege to vote. He says it is the best way for checks and balances.

“It’s like life and death,” he said. “Local voters need to start holding our local officials accountable.”

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