As candidates jockey for vacant Charlotte council seat, one is racking up endorsements
Charlotte’s transit plan and candidates’ political ambitions took the spotlight Thursday as applicants for the Charlotte City Council’s empty seat tried to win over current council members.
Former Council member Tariq Bokhari vacated the seat last month representing south Charlotte’s District 6 when he stepped down for a position in the Trump administration. He was one of just two Republicans on the 11-person council.
A pair of former elected officials pitched themselves Thursday at a candidate forum as stop-gap solutions who could be valuable to the city on a sales tax referendum for transportation needs that could be on the November ballot.
Others announced plans to run in the Republican primary later this year for a full term in office. Both Republicans and Democrats anticipate crowded fields running for virtually the only competitive City Council district in Charlotte.
The potential front-runner who’s picked up notable endorsements was among those absent from the event.
The council is slated to make its pick Monday.
Who applied for Charlotte City Council District 6 seat?
City leaders are moving forward with 10 applications for the open seat. Applicants had to be at least 21 years old, a registered voter, live in the district and be registered as a Republican. The appointee will finish out his term — set to end in December after the November local elections.
The first person to publicly announce their intention to apply for the seat was Bokhari’s wife, Krista Bokhari.
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She made her first official foray into politics in 2024 when she ran as a Republican in south Charlotte’s House District 104, losing to Democratic incumbent Rep. Brandon Lofton 55.9% to 44.1%.
She also made headlines last week for alleging city officials acted unethically in reportedly granting a six-figure settlement to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings to avoid a lawsuit. The potential suit was reportedly a response to a conflict between Jennings and Tariq Bokhari over outer carrier vests for police.
Krista Bokhari was quickly endorsed by her husband. The Mecklenburg County Republican Party and the only Republican members of Mecklenburg’s legislative delegation, Rep. Tricia Cotham and Sen. Vickie Sawyer, announced their support for her candidacy this week.
Krista Bokhari hasn’t said publicly whether she’d run for a full term in office later this year.
A pair of former elected officials and a conservative commentator also applied for the seat.
Andy Dulin spent eight years on the Charlotte City Council from 2005 to 2013 representing District 6 and a term in the North Carolina House. Edwin Peacock III is a former at-large council member from 2007 to 2011 and mayoral and Congressional primary candidate.
Andrew Dunn publishes the Longleaf Politics newsletter. Dunn is also an columnist for the Observer and Raleigh News & Observer’s opinion sections and served as the communication director for Dan Forest’s gubernatorial campaign in 2020.
Other applicants are:
Sary Chakra
David Jewell
Christopher McBride
Douglas Paris
La Reshai Poore
James Rice
Two applicants were deemed ineligible for not meeting the legal requirements for appointment.
Candidates talk transit, future plans
Bokhari, Dunn, Jewell, McBride and Paris did not attend Thursday’s forum, which was optional for candidates.
Both Dulin and Peacock said they don’t plan to run for a full term representing District 6. Both pitched themselves as experienced leaders who could navigate a short stint as an appointee.
Both also said they could effectively pitch to District 6 voters a potential referendum to increase Mecklenburg County’s sales tax to pay for an overhaul of the region’s transportation systems.
Chakra and Poore both said they plan to run in the Republican primary later this year to represent District 6.
A Charlotte native, Chakra said he’s passionate about improving infrastructure in District 6 to keep up with the area’s growth. He said he follows city government closely and has experience with the city through his work in stormwater and infrastructure construction.
Poore pledged to focus on neighborhood-level issues in the district. She said she’s also passionate about educating the public, especially young people, about dating violence as a domestic violence survivor.
Rice did not specify whether he would seek a full term in office during his public comments. A resident of Charlotte since 1983 with a background in banking and the business side of health care, he said he’d be a voice for elderly residents and bring knowledge of two of the city’s biggest industries.
When will Charlotte City Council decide on District 6 appointee?
The City Council will announce their selection for the District 6 seat Monday, the city said previously.
The appointee will be officially sworn in Tuesday, with a formal ceremony to follow June 2.
Mayor Vi Lyles said council members will review all 10 applications, and she doesn’t expect anyone’s inability to attend Thursday’s forum to affect their chances.
Council member Marjorie Molina noted the timing of the forum, on a Thursday afternoon, may have impacted some applicants’ ability to attend.
“Everyone deserves a fair shot …,” she said. “Unfortunately, for many reasons, others couldn’t join us, and now the public and us don’t get the advantage of hearing their perspective in person.”
Asked about the Mecklenburg GOP’s endorsement of Krista Bokhari, Molina said she’ll look to the council’s lone remaining Republican, Council member Ed Driggs, for guidance.
“I really trust him,” she said, adding she’d also consider any input Tariq Bokhari offered.
