One Charlotte City Council candidate outpaces others in fundraising, finance reports show
One Charlotte City Council candidate has set himself apart in fundraising, bringing in tens of thousands of dollars more than his competitors.
The most expensive city or county election is the Charlotte City Council at-large race. The crowded field has raised more than every district race combined. Developers and attorneys are some of the most common contributors, helping fill the coffers of candidate campaigns, according to financial disclosure forms.
City Council at-large candidate Larken Egleston, a Democrat, has raised and spent the most of any candidate for City Council since the last municipal election. From January 2020 to May 2, Egleston reported raising more than $137,000 and spending more than $115,000.
The most recent financial disclosure form was due Tuesday. Most candidates completed it on time, though some of their forms have not been posted online. Others are considered non-compliant by the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections for failing to disclose who’s giving them money and how they’re spending it.
Democrats Dimple Ajmera and Braxton Winston as well as Republican Kyle Luebke join Egleston as the top fundraisers among at-large City Council candidates. Ajmera has raised about $67,500 as of May 2. Winston has raised $61,400 since the previous council election. Luebke has raised about $28,000.
Former mayor Patrick Cannon has raised about $9,300. His notable contributors include the Alma Adams for Congress committee, which gave him $250 in April.
Former City Councilman James “Smuggie” Mitchell’s campaign didn’t list the occupations of his contributors on his most recent report, which is required. Of the $23,700 he’s raised, about $10,000 came from a fundraising event called Women For Mitchell. His report did not list individual contributors from the event. When asked about it by The Charlotte Observer, Mitchell, who’s running for an at-large seat, said his treasurer would amend the report to show who donated during the event.
Charlotte City Council at-large
Winston, Egleston and Ajmera each entered the final stretch with more than $30,000 available to spend on their campaigns. Egleston had more than $73,000 cash on hand, which included money he came into the election cycle with.
Egleston’s top fundraisers include commercial real estate developers such as Dan Levine, president of Levine Properties, and the N.C. Realtors PAC, a political action committee supporting Realtors’ interests. Like every candidate, he also pulled in money from a variety of other individuals. Egleston received donations from state Sen. Jeff Jackson, who is running for U.S. Senate, and a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Alma Adams.
Winston and Egleston each received $5,600 from a real estate developer, Jon Morris with Beacon Partners. Winston received $500 from Jackson, $1,000 from Hugh McColl, Bank of America’s former CEO and chairman, and several donations from labor organizations or their officials. Those include the N.C. AFL-CIO and Bo Howard, a union representative for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
Democrat and former City Council member Lawana Slack-Mayfield has pulled in more than $15,000 this election cycle and spent just over $9,100.
Several candidates donated to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Political Caucus, including Cannon, Egleston, Winston and Slack-Mayfield. The group’s endorsement is considered one of the most valuable in Charlotte. From just those four candidates, the group has received nearly $9,000 this election cycle.
In the at-large race, the group endorsed Slack-Mayfield, Winston, Cannon and Mitchell.
Of the four Republicans running at-large, two haven’t raised enough to require finance reports. Luebke, though, has raised more than $28,400 and has just shy of $18,000 left in the bank, according to his disclosure form. He received $500 from Dan Gurley, the deputy chief of staff to N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore.
Republican Charlie Mulligan had raised about $5,300 as of March 31.
City Council District 1
Three Democrats and no Republicans are running in District 1, meaning whoever wins the primary on May 17 will win the seat.
Billy Maddalon’s donors include state Sen. Jackson, real estate developers and others. He also received $500 from county commissioner Laura Meier. He’s raised more than $20,000 this election cycle.
Danté Anderson’s reports have not appeared online. The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections told the Observer last week Anderson didn’t submit required forms and was considered non-compliant. On Friday, Anderson told the Observer in an email her team had trouble with the reporting software but they “resolved the bug and have submitted the report.”
Charlene Henderson El raised $5,200 as of early April and had about $4,000 left to spend. She received support from county commissioner Mark Jerrell and Cedric Dean, who is running for City Council District 4.
There is no incumbent in the District 1 race.
City Council District 2
Incumbent Democrat Malcolm Graham appears to be the top fundraiser in this race, raising nearly $17,000 this cycle. He has two primary competitors: Kendrick Cunningham and Amar Johnson.
Graham’s contributors include real estate developers as well as Jerrell and Egleston.
Cunningham hasn’t filed 2022 campaign finance reports and is considered non-compliant, according to the county Board of Elections.
Johnson raised about $3,200 as of early April, according to a form he filed with the county. The latest finance reports for Johnson’s campaign weren’t available.
The lone Republican, Mary Lineberger Barnett, has raised about $1,150 this cycle and has $235 left. But she doesn’t have a primary competitor and won’t face an opponent until the general election in July.
Unlike the general election for U.S. Senate, Congress and the state legislature, which is in November, the City Council has its general election July 26.
City Council District 3
Democratic incumbent Victoria Watlington is leading in fundraising, with nearly $23,000 raised this cycle. Her primary competitor, Tiawana Deling Brown, has pulled in about $6,200.
County commissioner Pat Cotham donated $100 to Brown in early April.
Watlington’s donors include developers and physicians as well as McColl, the former chairman and CEO of Bank of America. McColl donated $2,000 to Watlington this election cycle.
Republican James Bowers doesn’t have a primary opponent.
City Council District 4
Renee’ Perkins Johnson, the Democratic incumbent, has raised $9,800. She’s the only incumbent to not raise more than her challengers.
Johnson’s latest report hasn’t been uploaded, but she filed it on time, according to county records.
Democrat Darlene Heater has raised $48,000 and spent nearly $35,000. Cedric Dean pulled in about $3,400 as of early April.
Heater’s donors include executives from several development and real estate groups, including from the CEO of Panorama Holdings, a developer and investment company in Ballantyne. She also received $2,000 from the N.C. Realtors PAC.
City Council District 5
There is no incumbent in this race, and only Democrats are running. Whoever wins the primary takes the seat.
Vinroy Reid and Mark Vincent are below the threshold needed to file reports.
Of the three others, Marjorie Molina is leading the field with more than $12,100 raised so far. Liz Millsaps Haigler has pulled in about $2,400, and as of early April Curtis Marvin Hayes Jr. had raised about $5,600. Hayes’ campaign largely is self-funded.
Molina received $100 from Heater, the District 4 candidate, and $250 from Morris with Beacon Partners. Morris also was the top donor to Egleston and Winston in the at-large race.
City Council District 6
Incumbent Republican Tariq Bokhari doesn’t face a primary competitor. Three Democrats are running to face him in July.
Nancy Wiggins’ latest fundraising report hasn’t been posted yet, but she had raised about $1,600 as of early April.
Stephanie Hand raised just shy of $5,000, but spent $2,325 more than she’s raised, according to campaign finance reports.
Rob Hillman is leading the Democrats in fundraising. He’s spent more than $14,000 and has more than $29,000 in the bank, as of May 2. The report that details his latest round of fundraising — including who is giving him money —was filed on time but hasn’t been posted.
City Council District 7
Republican Councilman Ed Driggs is running unopposed. He has no primary competitor and will have no general election competitor in July.
This story was originally published May 16, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
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