‘A new low’: Charlotte candidate condemns opponent’s email calling her a ‘habitual felon’

CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte City Council candidate says her opponent has reached “a new low.” The comment was made by Tiawana Brown, a Democrat running for District 3, after one of the campaign of her opponents, Warren Turner, sent an email to voters Monday afternoon.

The email said, “Have you heard? A habitual felon is on the ballot to represent you on City Council.”

The Turner campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Channel 9.

Brown runs a nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated women. She has been open about her past and told Channel 9 about her arrest in the early 90s on a felony fraud charge. The charge has since been expunged. She says it is a lie to call her a “habitual felon” because that was the only time she served for a felony charge.

“I was surprised that something like that could come out as horrific and low as it could be,” she said. “I like to take Michelle Obama and my mom’s advice to turn the other cheek and when they go low to go high.”

Brown says she is always available and willing to talk about her past, but the email was “below the belt.”

The District 3 Charlotte City Council race is one of the closest watched races of the primary. District 3 stretches from South End to Steele Creek and includes much of west Charlotte. Incumbent Representative Victoria Watlington is running for an At-Large seat.

Turner is seeking a return to this seat. He represented District 3 from 2003 to 2011. He lost his race after city employees accused him of sexual harassment.

Melinda Lilly, the former chair of the LGTBQ Democrats of Mecklenburg County, is also running for the seat.

The primary is September 12.

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