Witness: husband of black judge pressured early voter not to support ‘white woman’
A normally quiet Mecklenburg County judicial race burns hotter today after the husband of an African-American judge reportedly pressured a black voter near a polling site not to “support a white woman over a black woman.”
The Thursday morning incident outside an early-voting site in west Charlotte, confirmed by county elections director Michael Dickerson, was initiated by the husband of Mecklenburg District Judge Aretha Blake, witnesses said.
The dispute also involved a campaign volunteer for Blake’s opponent, Charlotte attorney Lynna Moen, who is white.
The Observer first reported the incident Friday afternoon. But in a Friday night email, Blake defended her husband’s behavior, saying he had heard the Moen volunteer spreading “false information about my judicial record,” which “prompted a debate about the facts and drew the attention of on-site election officials.”
She said the Moen campaign worker also had been violating election laws by standing too close to the entrance of the voting site.
Dickerson said the confrontation between Blake’s husband and the Moen campaign worker soon de-escalated.
“We didn’t call police,” Dickerson said. “We did talk to the person in question and told him to back off and not be so aggressive. After the discussion with my site coordinator, things calmed down.”
Moen, a family-law attorney who has practiced in Blake’s courtroom, said she learned about the incident late Friday morning.
“I hope we all have the opportunity to cast our votes in a peaceful manner, and that it’s done in a way where no one feels intimidated or threatened,” she said.
Blake is the only incumbent judge with opposition in the March 3 primary. The winner between her and Moen earns a seat on the county’s District Court bench.
Incident details
The incident occurred outside the Beatties Ford Library, one of the 20 Mecklenburg early-voting sites that opened Thursday.
Moen’s volunteer, an African American woman, agreed to describe the incident only if she was not identified, saying she fears reprisals.
She said the confrontation occurred as she and Blake’s husband were standing near each other handing out campaign cards for their respective candidates. An African American woman walked up between them on her way to the polls, the Moen volunteer said. Both handed her cards.
According to the Moen worker, Blake’s husband told the voter that she shouldn’t vote for a white woman over a black one. “The lady said, ‘Don’t play the race card. I’m going to vote for the person who does the job,’” Moen’s volunteer said.
Blake’s husband continued to talk to the woman who told him again, “Don’t play the race card,” according to Moen’s volunteer.
The volunteer said Blake’s husband then angrily turned on her over a recent TV report alleging poor job performance by Blake, a story that the judge says is untrue and blames on politics. Blake told The Observer this week that she has requested a retraction.
“They’re telling lies on my wife,” the Moen volunteer said Blake’s husband loudly told her. “He was threatening to sue me. I just told him to stay out of my face. Don’t talk to me, I don’t talk to you.”
She said a voting precinct captain interceded and tensions eased. Later, she said, Judge Blake arrived at the voting site and apologized.
“She apologized for his behavior. She said emotions are running hot,” the volunteer said.
“I told her I appreciated (the apology) because it doesn’t look good for any man to be up in a woman’s face,” the volunteer said.
Blake, however, said her husband “was not aggressive and did not accost any individual.”
She also said he does not recall making the statement to the voter that she should support a black woman over a white one. Rather, he said he pointed out that Blake had been endorsed by the Black Political Caucus and of “the need to maintain a diverse slate of judges on the bench,” Blake said.
The incumbent also remembers her apology differently, describing it as a “respectful conversation with my opponent’s campaign operative” when she “expressed my regret that she was provided with misinformation about me.”
This story was originally published February 14, 2020 at 6:14 PM.
