In Charlotte’s most competitive council race, one candidate holds firm fundraising lead

Pre-election campaign finance reports for the Charlotte City Council and mayoral race were due last week — and two at-large incumbents lead all candidates in fundraising.

At-large incumbents Dimple Ajmera and Braxton Winston have raised the most money this election, with Ajmera raising about $85,524 and Winston raising about $75,140.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, a Democrat, has out-raised her Republican opponent Stephanie de Sarachaga-Bilbao by about $38,000, including several donations from Duke Energy executives.

In the most competitive race, for Charlotte City Council District 6, Republican incumbent Tariq Bokhari has out-raised Democratic opponent Stephanie Hand by more than $20,000, including $5,000 from Frank Harrison, CEO of the nation’s largest Coca-Cola bottling company, Coca-Cola Consolidated.

The 2022 municipal election is Tuesday. Only voters who live in the Charlotte city limits will be able to cast ballots in the election. Candidates for districts 1, 4, 5 and 7 do not face competition in the July election.

The period covered by the recent financial disclosure form is May 3 to July 11. Reports were due July 18. Most candidates completed it on time, but some of their forms were not posted online or provided to The Charlotte Observer by Friday.

Charlotte mayoral race

Lyles has raised $48,180 this election, with almost half coming in the latest period. Some notable donations this period include:

• Atrium Health’s political action committee, $3,500

• Lynn Good, Duke Energy CEO, $1,000

• Steve Young, Duke Energy CFO, $1,000

• Alex Glenn, Duke Energy executive, $1,000

• Brian Savoy, Duke Energy executive vice president, $1,000

• Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, Duke Energy executive vice president, $1,000

• Ronald Reising, Duke Energy senior vice president, $1,000

• Harry K Sideris, Duke Energy executive vice president of customer experience, $1,000

• Stephen De May, Duke Energy North Carolina president, $250

Lyles, Charlotte’s mayor since 2017, faces de Sarachaga-Bilbao, a first generation Mexican American who works in finance and has never run for elected office.

De Sarachaga-Bilbao has raised about $10,500 this election — the majority of it coming in during the most recent reporting period. Of the donations received, $8,100 came from Jessie Knight and Joye Blount, owners of private equity and philanthropic organization Knight Angels Consulting LLC.

Another contribution of $2,000 came from retired attorney and investor William Belk.

Lyles’ campaign has spent $55,680 this election on advertising, software, consulting services, donations to other campaigns and storage. Her campaign had $128,925 in cash on hand — money still available to spend — at the end of this reporting period.

De Sarachaga-Bilbao’s campaign has spent $2,143 so far this election on food, event entertainment, printing services and merchant fees. She had $8,356 in cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.

District 6 Charlotte City Council race

Bokhari, who’s served Charlotte City Council District 6 since 2017, has raised $64,175 this election, with $43,500 rolling in this period. Notable donations include:

• Harrison, Coca-Cola Consolidated CEO, $5,000

• Malinda Gill, wife of CEO and founder of CPI Security Kenneth Gill, $2,500

• Matthew Penley, self-employed, $5,200

• Felix Sabates, Charlotte businessman and entrepreneur, $2,500

• Frank Scibelli, FS Food Group CEO, $2,500

• Joe Teague, Madison Capital Group COO, $5,200

• Ramakrishna Yada, owner of Tay Holdings, $2,500

Bokhari’s Democratic opponent, Hand, a clergywoman who has never previously run for public office, has raised $40,879 this election.

Hand received sizable donations from the Democratic Women of Mecklenburg County and Friends for Vi Lyles, the mayor’s campaign committee, making up $6,000. The remaining $15,000 Hand raised this period came from individual donations, many of them less than $1,000.

Bokhari’s campaign has spent $8,724 so far this election, including $3,220 this reporting period on “online donation processing fees” and website hosting. The Bokhari campaign had $108,921 in cash on hand after the latest period.

Hand’s campaign has spent $13,307 so far this election on advertising, email services, poll worker supplies and mail. Her campaign has $27,572 in cash on hand.

At-large Charlotte City Council race

▪ Dimple Ajmera, Democrat

Raised this period: $17,689.22

Raised total: $85,524.67

Spent this period: $10,287.14

Cash on hand: $38,324.52

Notable donations:

• Atrium Health’s political committee, $2,000

• Citizens for Tim Emry for DA, the committee of a Democrat who unsuccessfully challenge Spencer Merriweather in May, $500

• Councilman Larken Egleston, $250

• Iron Workers Political Action League Multi-Candidate Committee, $2,500

▪ LaWana Slack-Mayfield, Democrat

Raised this period: $12,560.85

Raised total: $28,087.18

Spent this period: $9,984.47

Cash on hand: $11,772.86

Notable donations:

• Former Charlotte mayor and architect Harvey Gantt, $250
• LGBTQ Federal Political Action Committee, $500
• Mayor Vi Lyles, $250

• Councilman Larken Egleston, $250

• Councilman Greg Phipps, $500

▪ Braxton Winston, Democrat

Raised this period: $13,740.22

Raised total: $75,140.22

Spent this period: $12,835.76

Cash on hand: $39,907.40

Notable donations:

• Physician Karla Jurvetson, $5,600
• Way to Lead Political Action Committee, $3,000
• Gantt, former Charlotte mayor, $250
• Julie Eiselt, mayor pro tem, $250
• Democratic Women of Mecklenburg County, $100

▪ Kyle J. Luebke, Republican

Raised this period: $2,130

Raised total: $30,040

Spent this period: $13,846.38

Cash on hand: $6,152.24

Notable donations:

• Chad Stachowicz, Cloverhound, INC. CEO - $500

▪ David Merrill, Republican, report turned in, but not available from Mecklenburg County Board of Elections.

▪ Charlie Mulligan, Republican, report turned in, but not available from Mecklenburg County Board of Elections.

▪ Carrie Olinski, Republican, report turned in, but not available from Mecklenburg County Board of Elections.

▪ James (Smuggie) Mitchell, Democrat, report turned in, but not available from Mecklenburg County Board of Elections.

District 2 Charlotte City Council race

▪ Mary Lineberger-Barnett, Republican, Report turned in, but not available from Mecklenburg County Board of Elections.

▪ Malcolm Graham, Democrat, Report turned in, but not available from Mecklenburg County Board of Elections.

District 3 Charlotte City Council race

▪ Victoria Watlington

Raised this period: $5,758.08

Raised total: $28,730.64

Spent this period: $4,912.70

Cash on hand: $24,473.13

Notable donations:

• Atrium Health Employee Federal Political Action Committee, $2,000
• Democratic Women of Mecklenburg County, $250
• Gantt, former Charlotte mayor, $150

• Former Rowan-Salisbury Schools Superintendent and current Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Tony Watlington, $250

▪ James Bowers

Raised this period: $1,540

Raised total: $4,264.66

Spent this period: $2,276.94

Cash on hand: $607.24

Notable donations:

• Mostly received donations of less than $500 from individuals

This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 6:45 AM.

Genna Contino

The Charlotte Observer

Genna Contino previously covered local government for the Observer, where she wrote about Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. She attended the University of South Carolina and grew up in Rock Hill.