2025 voter guide: Charlotte City Council primary candidates answer our questions

Charlotte voters on Sept. 9 will have their say in primary elections for mayor and city council.

The contests — several Democratic and a single Republican primary in District 6 — will be a competitive mixture of incumbents and challengers. The Charlotte Observer asked all candidates in the primary election to complete a candidate questionnaire on topics ranging from a $305,000 payment to outgoing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings to a 2025 sales tax referendum.

For information on when and where to vote as well as who’s on your ballot, read our full voter’s guide here.

2025 Charlotte primary election

Elections in the primary include:

• Incumbent mayor Vi Lyles faces Democratic challengers Jaraun “Gemini” Boyd, Delter Kenny Guinn III, Brendan Maginnis and Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel
• Ten Democrats are running for four at-large spots in the September primary. They include incumbents Dimple Ajmera, James “Smuggie” Mitchell, LaWana Slack-Mayfield and Victoria Watlington. Challengers include: Matt Britt, Roderick Davis, Will Holley, J.G. Lockhart, Emerson Stoldt and Namrata (N.Y.) Yadav.
• Incumbent Dante Anderson is challenged by Charlene Henderson El in District 1.
• In District 3, incumbent Tiawana Deling Brown faces challengers Montravias King, Joi Mayo and Warren F. Turner. King announced he’s suspending his campaign, but he will still appear on September’s ballot.
• District 4 features a rematch of incumbent Renee Perkins Johnson and challenger Wil Russell.
• District 5 incumbent Marjorie Molina faces a challenge from Juan Diego (J.D.) Mazuera in east Charlotte.
• District 6 features the only Republican primary — Krista Bokhari and Sary Chakra.

2025 voter guide questionnaires

Below you’ll find links to candidate questionnaires for all who responded. Click on “read more” under each candidate to view their full answers.

Candidates who did not respond to the Observer’s questionnaire include Lyles in the mayor’s race, Lockhart and Stoldt in at-large, and Charlene Henderson El in District 1. Some candidates also did not respond to the birthdate question.

This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM.

Josh Bergeron

The Charlotte Observer

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Josh Bergeron is the government editor at The Charlotte Observer. Previously, he was the editor of the Salisbury Post in Salisbury, N.C. and worked as an editor and reporter at newspapers in North Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi. He’s a proud LSU alumnus — Geaux Tigers.