Local

‘Sense of urgency’ drives Dimple Ajmera’s city council re-election bid

CHARLOTTE — Democrat Dimple Ajmera is contending to keep her spot representing Charlotte in an At-Large role on the City Council for another term.

Ajmera was the City Council’s first Asian-American representative and the youngest woman to be elected when she first won her seat in 2017.

“I’m running so that I can continue to deliver on the promises that I had made,” Ajmera told The Political Beat’s Joe Bruno. “As a working mother, as a new mother, I feel the sense of urgency behind everything that we do on city council from affordable housing, public safety, to congestion and traffic.”

She will contend with five other Democrats in the primary election. All candidates in the Democratic primary have Charlotte City Council experience.

Ajmera said her unique insight as a working mother sets her apart from other candidates and is needed in the At-Large role.

“It’s really the experience that you can trust comes down to,” she said. “We do not have any working mothers who are running as an At-Large member and that perspective is missing. So, we do need that perspective as we are making decisions for our working families every single day.”

Another term would include a pointed focus on the city’s transportation, Ajmera said.

“Our current transportation system is not reliable,” she said. “... We have seen emails and calls from multiple residents where they say the bus is not operating on time. And it’s not efficient. It takes over 45 minutes to get from point A to point B and that is unacceptable for city the size of ours, the 15th largest city.”

The top four at-large candidates will move on to the General Election.

The Political Beat’s Joe Bruno is interviewing all Charlotte city council at-large candidates ahead of the May 17 primary.

>> In the video at the top of this page, The Political Beat’s Joe Bruno sits down with Ajmera and her daughter, Charlotte, for a discussion on her aspirations if re-elected as an At-Large representative on the Charlotte City Council. Watch LIVE on Channel 9.

(WATCH BELOW: PART 1 -- The Political Beat with Channel 9′s Joe Bruno (April 24,2022))