Hand will run for south Charlotte council seat, setting up possible Bokhari rematch
Voters in a politically divided district in south Charlotte could see a rematch on their ballots this year.
Democrat Stephanie Hand will run for Charlotte City Council District 6, she confirmed to The Charlotte Observer Wednesday afternoon. District 6 is shaped like a jagged triangle with its peak directly south of uptown Charlotte and its bottom north of Pineville-Matthews Road.
Hand, an ordained clergy member who has lived in south Charlotte for two decades, lost to Republican incumbent Tariq Bokhari last year by 357 votes out of nearly 20,000 cast. Hand’s candidacy was first reported by WSOC, The Charlotte Observer’s news partner.
Asked about her candidacy, Hand took a break from working Ash Wednesday services to send a simple text: “Yes, it is true.”
Bokhari said he welcomes the competition, but is confident he’ll keep his seat.
“I got to know Stephanie on the campaign trail during the last election, and I genuinely like and respect her,” Bokhari said. “I look forward to once again making my case to the voters of District 6 as to why I’m the best person to represent them on our city council.”
The general election for the Charlotte City Council is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Candidates will first have to make it through the primary on Sept. 12 and that filing opens on July 7.
This story was originally published February 22, 2023 at 5:33 PM.
