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Five Charlotte City Council members were elected Tuesday in uncontested races.
District Democrats Patsy Kinsey, James “Smuggie” Mitchell, Warren Turner, Michael Barnes and Nancy Carter, all incumbents, ran unopposed in the general election this year, though three of them easily defeated fellow Democrats in the September primary.
There were no Republican opponents in their districts because of redistricting that has produced few competitive areas. Voters in just two southeast Charlotte districts had a choice in the council race Tuesday.
Kinsey, a public relations manager representing District 1, has lived in or near the district her whole life and has served on the council since 2003. The former county commissioner defeated Owen Sutkowski in the primary Sept. 15. Kinsey has said her accomplishments include getting traffic-calming devices installed and helping people with zoning issues.
Mitchell of District 2 has served on the council for a decade. He has cited his work with Northlake Mall creating a policy that restricts teens unaccompanied by an adult as work that helps his constituents. Mitchell, sales director for a building materials company, defeated Aaron “Fatso” Sanders in the primary.
Turner of District 3, a state probation officer, and Barnes of District 4, a partner at law firm Fuller & Barnes LLP, ran unopposed this year. Republican Gail Helms filed to run against Barnes but dropped out of the race before the election.
Carter, who has represented the east-Charlotte District 5 since 1999, has acknowledged voters' concerns about the area's economic struggles, saying conditions in the east side are getting better but won't change quickly. Carter defeated Darrell Bonapart in this year's primary.
