How will Charlotte pick an interim mayor after Vi Lyles steps down? What to know
Mayor Vi Lyles will step down June 30, and voters won’t have a direct say in who should hold the city’s highest office until the 2027 election.
Lyles made the announcement in a news release Thursday celebrating her five terms in office. She did not provide a reason for her decision beyond wanting to spend more time with her grandkids. State law calls for the City Council to handpick her successor in the meantime.
The 11-member council does not have to choose the mayor from its own ranks and can appoint somebody who has not been previously elected, according to the UNC School of Government. However, the appointee must live in Charlotte and be registered to the same party as the outgoing mayor. Lyles is a Democrat.
Mayor Pro Tem James Mitchell is the second highest-ranking elected official at the city and will likely facilitate meetings in the interim. But he will not become the official mayor unless a majority of the City Council votes him into the job.
If any City Council member is appointed to be mayor, then the council must also fill that person’s seat.
The appointee would hold office for the remainder of Lyles’ term, which ends in December 2027. Next year’s municipal elections will unfold as usual. Candidates will file to run for mayor, and voters will elect a winner.
State law does not define a clear timeline for filling vacancies, according to the UNC School of Government.
When a vacancy opened on the council last year, city leaders had discretion over how they would fill it. They chose to open applications to the public. That council seat was vacant for less than six weeks.
This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 8:30 AM.
