Negative campaign mailers emerge in mayoral campaign

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Democrats running for mayor are sniping at each other for the first time in the short but-important runoff campaign.
  
Candidates Dan Clodfelter and Jennifer Roberts walked onstage to a round of applause Wednesday morning for a debate at Spirit Square in uptown, but it's a battle in campaign mailers that's getting attention.
 
A mailer sent by the Clodfelter campaign accuses Roberts of cutting funding for education during her time as chair of the Mecklenburg County Commission.

MORE INFORMATION: Charlotte Mayoral Race - 2015 

Roberts sent a fundraising letter to supporters accusing Clodfelter of lying about her record on education.
 
The two defended their mailers during the debate that continued after the event.
 
"You know, when you're not the front-runner, when you're behind, people sometimes have to go negative," Roberts said referring to the Clodfelter mailer. "I think he's desperate."
 
Clodfelter was hesitant in commenting to Eyewitness News about Roberts' accusation that he was lying.
 
"We verified every one of those facts before we used them," Clodfelter said. 
 
The tenor of the runoff that many expect to be close is likely to keep changing, political expert Eric Heberlig said. 
 
He expects more negative campaigning.
 
"Absolutely," Heberlig said. "Once the Pandora's box is opened, it usually just continues." 
 
Heberlig said negative campaigning is generally effective, even though voters say they don't like it.