Dozens of Charlotte candidates competing in 24 local races during May primary. Who are they?

Take a deep breath because the ballot for the May primary will be long.

Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are heading into the election with a lot to take in, from judicial races to City Council to state legislature — and more in between. This year also is unusual because it features municipal elections, which usually happen in odd-numbered years and were delayed because of late Census data.

This story aims to take a step back, see the ballot with a bird’s-eye perspective, then dive in to some of the races that are getting the most attention.

In all, there are 24 non-statewide elected positions where candidates are battling it out with a primary competitor. They’ll head to the general election to face competitors from the other parties.

Let’s start from the top.

U.S. House

Two U.S. House districts cover parts of Mecklenburg County. District 12 includes most of the county north and east of uptown and stretches east into Cabarrus County. District 14 includes uptown, and most everything west and south of uptown to the Union County line. District 14 also stretches into Gaston County.

Rep. Alma Adams, a Democrat, is the incumbent in District 12. She faces John Sharkey, an underdog running on a platform of fair wages, veterans benefits and more.

There are three District 12 Republican competitors as well: Nalini Joseph, Andrew Huffman and Tyler Lee. The winner will face a tough general election contest, as both of Mecklenburg’s U.S. House districts favor Democrats.

In District 14, state Sen. Jeff Jackson jumped in the race after he dropped his bid for U.S. Senate. Jackson faces Ram Mammadov, who grew up in Azerbaijan before immigrating to the United States.

Jackson comes into the race with most of the money he raised during his U.S. Senate bid and is considered the front-runner. Two Republicans, Pat Harrigan and Jonathan Simpson, are battling it out to see who faces the Democrat in November.

Mayor

Mayor Vi Lyles is considered the front-runner in her bid for a third term reelection. She faces three Democratic primary opponents: Lucille Puckett, Tae McKenzie and Tigress Sydney Acute McDaneil.

On the Republican side, Stephanie de Sarachaga-Bilbao faces Mohamed Moustafa. Sarachaga-Bilbao is part of a slate of Republicans trying to gain power in Charlotte, led by councilman Tariq Bokhari. They are hoping to seize on frustration about the status quo, hitting on issues such as affordable housing and public safety.

City Council at large

There’s a lot to unpack in this one. At-large members represent and are elected by the entire city, whereas district representatives represent voters only in their districts. Voters will choose four candidates in whichever party’s primary they prefer.

Six Democrats are running. Dimple Ajmera and Braxton Winston are the two incumbents. Larken Egleston currently serves as the District 1 representative but is running at large. The other competitors are James “Smuggie” Mitchell (a former council member who left to head R.J. Leeper Construction), former mayor Patrick Cannon, and Lawana Slack-Mayfield, another former council member.

Of the three candidates not currently on council, all come with some level of a controversial past. Mitchell’s departure came after some discussion about possible conflicts of interests that could arise from his private business endeavors. Cannon is making his return to politics after serving prison time for accepting bribes while serving as an elected official. Slack-Mayfield lost in the 2019 primary after controversial social media posts, including one about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Five Republicans are running and will face the Democratic winners during a general election in July. They are: David Merrill, Kyle Luebke, Charlie Mulligan and Carrie Olinski, who are all on Bokhari’s Republican slate; and David Michael Rice.

City Council district races

The only district seat without a primary is District 7, in south Charlotte, where Republican Ed Driggs can cruise to an easy victory.

Bokhari in District 6 doesn’t face a primary competitor, but three Democrats are running in their own primary: Nancy Wiggins, Stephanie Hand and Rob Hillman.

District 1, Egleston’s old district, has three competitors: Charlene Henderson, who campaigned against the redistricting of the Hidden Valley neighborhood; Dante Anderson, a Charlotte native who is campaigning on attracting businesses who will pay a livable wage to the city; and Billy Maddalon, whose website said he wants to give small businesses more support if he’s elected.

In District 2, incumbent Malcolm Graham — who got the Black Political Caucus endorsement — faces Amar Johnson and Kendrick Cunningham. Johnson is a voting precinct chair whose priorities include securing financial stability for the city’s seniors.

Cunningham has launched an extensive campaign, attending numerous events over the past few months and door-knocking in his district. His campaign website includes plans to increase affordable housing and reduce juvenile delinquency.

In Districts 3 and 4, incumbents Victoria Watlington and Renee Johnson both face primary competitors. Watlington is up against Tiawana Deling Brown, whose advocacy work has focused on helping women after incarceration.

Johnson faces Darlene Heater and Cedric Dean. Dean has campaigned on public safety and providing more funding for childcare programs. Heater said she has served on city, county and school bond committees for 15 years and is the executive director of University City Partners.

Both District 5 and District 6 are open seats. The District 5 candidates are Vinroy Reid, Mark Vincent, Liz Millsaps Haigler, Curtis Marvin Hayes Jr. and Marjorie Molina — all Democrats.

Board of County Commissioners at large

Unlike the City Council, there is just one Republican, Tatyana Thulien, running. She has a guaranteed path to the general election.

There are six Democrats battling for three nominations: Jennifer De La Jara, Leigh Altman, Arthur Griffin, Jr., Patricia “Pat” Cotham, Yvette Townsend-Ingram and Trina V. Boyd.

De La Jara is a current school board member and has campaigned on the idea of more collaboration between the most powerful governmental bodies in the county: the school board, the county government and the city government.

Altman and Cotham are incumbents and both received a Political Caucus endorsement. Townsend-Ingram is campaigning, among other things, on wrap-around services for families to reduce the opportunity gap. Griffin is a former school board chair and also received the BPC endorsement. Boyd speaks most prominently about support for small businesses, and said she would hope to establish a county-owned daycare for people who work at night.

County Commissioners District 2

The incumbent Vilma D. Leake has served on the Board of County Commissioners since 2008. She won that election with 75% of the vote and has won handily ever since. Prior to serving at the county, she served on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education for 11 years.

She faces Angela Edwards, who won 17% of the vote in the 2016 primary for District 2 and 18% in 2018.

County Commissioners District 6

Incumbent Susan Rodriguez-McDowell doesn’t face a primary competitor, but two Republicans are facing off to challenge her in the general election.

Desiree Zapata Miller, born in Honduras, said on her website the county “faces some serious challenges and with 100% Democratic control of the County Board, it’s time for a conservative voice who will offer a fresh perspective.”

Jeremy Brasch, a veteran, said in his Observer Q&A that he would push for a cut to the county’s property tax rate.

Sheriff

Sheriff Garry McFadden heads into reelection with two primary competitors, and recent headlines about staffing and safety issues at the county jail. He serves as the county’s first Black sheriff and received the Black Political Caucus endorsement.

Aujiena “Gina” Hicks, one of McFadden’s primary opponents, has worked at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office for 18 years and has a total of 29 years of experience in law enforcement. In her Observer Q&A, she said one of her primary goals will be to restore morale both within the sheriff’s office and the community.

Marquis D. Robinson is a pastor and recently retired sheriff’s deputy who said he served for 25 years. Robinson said he’s also the only candidate who served as a detention officer, giving him insight into recent controversies at the jail.

District Attorney

District Attorney Spencer Merriweather, who got the Black Political Caucus endorsement, is running for reelection against Tim Emry, a public defender.

In his Observer Q&A, Merriweather said his office turned its attention away from minor crimes such as drug possession to violent crime. The city must work to reduce youth gun violence, he said.

“With the spike in guns in our schools this year, I have led the call for people across our county to work together to come up with proposals to give our kids more support,” he said.

Emry told The Charlotte Observer a key part of his campaign is pursuing racial justice in the courts. Asked where he diverges from his party, he said implicit bias training, “while helpful, is not a cure-all, and will not allow us to unwind systemic racism in large systems. Only intentionally anti-racist policies can achieve those desired outcomes.”

N.C. Senate

Two of Mecklenburg’s N.C. Senate races have primaries: District 37 and 42.

In District 37, incumbent Republican Vickie Sawyer, who has served two terms, is facing Tom Fyler.

In District 42, Republican Scott Stone, a former state House representative, is facing Cheryl Russo, who says on her website she is a cardiologist who will “fight for parental rights and Opportunity Scholarships to empower low-income parents with the chance to match the school to their child’s needs.”

Stone, as well as serving as a state legislator, has run for lieutenant governor and Charlotte mayor. Stone said in his Observer Q&A he wants to support law enforcement and find ways to reduce chronic absenteeism in students.

He also answered questions about what to do if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, and on whether the state should expand Medicaid.

Russo did not respond to the Observer’s Q&A.

N.C. House

Three seats have primaries for the N.C. House in Mecklenburg County: Districts 103, 107 and 112.

District 103 does not have an incumbent. Community College professor and Democrat Ann Harlan, in a flyer for Tuesday Forum Charlotte, said she’ll fight for teacher pay raises and expanded Medicaid. Attorney Laura Budd has an endorsement from Lillian’s List and says on her website that, “Working families need someone who will fight for our schools, our local economy, and our community.”

The district was previously held by Rachel Hunt, who is running for state Senate. Republican Bill Brawley is running unopposed.

In District 107, incumbent Democrat Kelly Alexander faces Vermanno Bowman, who said he’ll fight for a $15 minimum wage and criminal justice reform. Alexander has served in the N.C. House since 2008. He also serves on several committees and has been a champion of regulating marijuana.

District 112 does not have an incumbent. Four candidates — Rodney Moore, Tricia Cotham, Yolanda Holmes and Jay Holman — are competing in the Democratic primary. Moore is a former state representative and pleaded guilty in 2019 to one felony count of making felony false statements under oath. The case was related to campaign finance.

He’s facing another former legislator, Tricia Cotham, the youngest woman ever to be elected to the state legislature and the daughter of county commissioner Pat Cotham.

Tricia Cotham has been open about suffering from long COVID and told the Observer that she’s hoping to enact change in Raleigh to provide support for people suffering from the same illness. Cotham is also running on her previous experience advancing legislation as a member of the minority party.

Of the newcomers, Holman, a carpenter, won the endorsement of the Black Political Caucus and told the Observer that he wants to increase financial support for teachers and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Holmes, an educator, told the Observer that she’ll fight for a woman’s right to choose if Roe v. Wade is overturned, and wants to expand Medicaid.

N.C. Superior Court Judge

Current District Court and Democrat Judge Roy H. Wiggins, who was elected in 2018, said he has more than 32 years of experience in the courts, including working as an assistant district attorney, a defense attorney, a plaintiff’s attorney and a general practitioner.

He faces Democrat David Strickland, a former district court judge who served from 2012-20. He told the Observer he witnessed numerous examples of racial inequity in the legal system as a juvenile judge.

“No matter what else I do in my life, I will never be able to touch as many lives and help change the direction of others as my time in Juvenile Court,” he said.

N.C. District Court

There are three primaries in N.C. District Court for District 26.

Running for seat 18, Democrat Keith Smith has worked as an assistant district attorney and as a senior associate attorney with Mecklenburg County’s Department of Social Services. He faces Democrat Cecilia Oseguera, who has over 20 years of litigation experience in state and federal court.

For seat 19, Democrat Belal Elrahal faces Democrat Samantha C. Mobley. Elrahal is a Charlotte native and attorney who has represented clients in child custody, divorce, and landlord/tenant dispute cases, according to his website. Mobley, a magistrate, has extensive volunteering experience and told the Observer that she served as a mentor at Berea’s Children’s Home.

In Seat 01, magistrate and Democrat Christopher Bazzle said he wants to ensure an unbiased bail policy and that “second chances are available to all people—regardless of race, gender, sexuality, culture, or religion.”

He faces attorney and Democrat Shante’ Burke-Hayer, who told the Observer she was most proud of operating a solo legal practice during the pandemic.

This story was originally published April 24, 2022 at 12:00 AM.

Will Wright

The Charlotte Observer

Will Wright covers politics in Charlotte and North Carolina. He previously covered eastern Kentucky for the Lexington Herald-Leader, and worked as a reporting fellow at The New York Times.