Charlotte Democrats blanked GOP in 2022. Bokhari, Driggs consider whether they’re next
Tariq Bokhari sees a “severe underdog situation” for Republicans in next year’s elections.
Factors for the District 6 Charlotte councilman include another Democratic sweep of county commissioner races in the 2022 election, his close reelection victory earlier this year and a movement to get rid of incumbents.
Tuesday’s election gave Democrats Pat Cotham, Leigh Altman and Arthur Griffin at-large seats on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. Districts seats all went to Democrats: Elaine Powell in District 1, George Dunlap in District 3, Mark Jerrell in District 4, Laura Meier in District 5 and Susan Rodriguez-McDowell in District 6. Vilma Leake won an uncontested election in District 2.
So, what do this year’s results project for the 2023 Charlotte City Council election when elected Republicans are already in short supply?
A primary is scheduled for Sept. 12 with the general election Nov. 7. Charlotte voters will elect council members to two-year terms. This year’s municipal elections occurred one year later and elected members only to one-year terms because of U.S. Census delays.
Bokhari and District 7 council member Ed Driggs — the only Republicans on the dais — say they fear losing seats to Democratic challengers would result in a lack of diversity in thought and soured relationships with the state legislature.
But Bokhari doesn’t see himself among likely underdogs and said he can make up points in his district despite its electorate growing more blue.
Women an important voter bloc in Charlotte
Republican Matthew Ridenhour, a former county commissioner, says his political career is now over. He was on the commission, lost his District 5 seat to Meier, and tried again Tuesday to get it back.
Donald Trump’s presidency has led many unaffiliated suburban voters who normally lean right to take a sharp left turn, Ridenhour said.
“I looked up a lot of voters and I cannot tell you how many women in District 5 had been Republican primary voters. And after 2016? Democrat, Democrat, Democrat,” Ridenhour said. “Can Republicans still win? Yes, but it’s only getting more difficult to do so.”
His opponent, Meier, said she believed the overturning of Roe v. Wade scared a lot of women into voting — on both sides of the political spectrum.
“I don’t think I won by just Democrat votes,” Meier said.
Rodriguez-McDowell, who beat Republican Jeremy Brasch in the county’s District 6 race, agreed, saying women as a voting bloc in Charlotte are a force to be reckoned with.
“I don’t think I can predict what can happen at the town or city level because the truth of the matter is it’s really about the candidates,” Rodriguez-McDowell said. “I mean who actually runs is really a determining factor. The quality of candidate is huge.”
Separating people from party
But more voters have chosen a side between the two major parties, making it harder than ever to convince people who may have previously been persuadable, Ridenhour said.
“Our politics have devolved into a war of attrition where we just try to win,” Ridenhour said. “In this post-Trump world, post-2016, a lot of folks are red jersey, blue jersey. It’s at the local level, it’s at the state level and that’s dangerous.”
Meier said its notable Bokhari’s district, which is mostly contained within hers, is considered a purple district. She believes it’s turning blue.
“It’s a changing district and we gotta change with it,” she said.
If city districts 6 or 7 flip, Driggs and Bokhari said it will leave a lot of Republican voters feeling unrepresented.
Bokhari also worries that the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners remaining entirely Democratic for another two years will hurt Charlotte’s relations with Raleigh when state and local collaboration is necessary and Republicans appear to be one vote shy of a supermajority in both bodies of the legislature.
“This means we’re cut out of a lot of conversations locally,” Bokhari said. “We’re known as the great state of Mecklenburg down here.”
Already, Republican legislators have taken note of Charlotte’s committee assignments cutting Bokhari out.
“Seems odd that Bokhari is not on Economic Development or Transportation,” Lincoln County’s Rep. Jason Saine tweeted shortly after this year’s city elections. “CLT’s best ambassador to state leaders gets sacked.”
Bokhari, Driggs still hopeful despite local blue wave
Bokhari said Republicans can’t stop trying in Charlotte and said he believes “it’s less about R and D and more about people tired of what’s going on and getting rid of incumbents.” That may be true on the nonpartisan school board, but no Mecklenburg County commissioners lost on Tuesday.
But right now, he said, Charlotte is not excluded from the deep polarization in American government — even if the City Council typically stays away from controversial topics such as abortion and gun control.
Driggs said he doesn’t think the council should be partisan in nature.
“My approach has always been to try not to be political and focus on the work,” Driggs said. “I hope that’s something that people will continue to acknowledge and will take into account next year.”
Driggs intends to run again, but is concerned by the one-sidedness in Charlotte politics.
“I think if the two remaining seats on council were to go to Democrats, that would create a very difficult situation,” Driggs said.
This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 1:56 PM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to clarify council member Tariq Bokhari’s view on his chances in the 2023 election.
