Handshake snub caps off heated District 4 candidate forum for Charlotte council
Candidates in the head-to-head contest for Charlotte City Council District 4 traded barbs on Tuesday over development, transparency and affordable housing.
The Sarah Stevenson Tuesday Forum ended on sour terms when incumbent Renee Perkins Johnson didn’t shake hands with challenger Wil Russell. They used their closing comments to defend their records and take final swipes at the other.
Both focused on Russell’s background as a construction manager for affordable housing. Whereas Russell touted his experience as a benefit to addressing the city’s desperate housing needs, Johnson criticized him as standing to profit from a city leadership position. She also raised concern over Russell’s delayed and missing campaign finance reports.
The outcome of the September 9 primary election will determine who represents District 4 on city council for the next two years. The winner will not face a challenger in November’s general election.
This election marks a rematch of the heated 2023 primary in which Mayor Vi Lyles controversially endorsed Russell over Johnson, who’s served alongside Lyles since 2019.
Handshake: Why Johnson, Russell are at odds
The forum’s climactic ending saw Russell stand and extend his arm towards Johnson. She did not return the gesture.
In the moments leading up to the exchange, Johnson used her closing comments to portray herself as a steadfast voice for her constituents, even if that means disrupting the status quo. She offered a contrasting image of Russell.
“He’s a part of the system where his vote will be controllable. While he falls in line, I’ve been the one pushing back,” Johnson said. “My opponent is backed by those same interests and developers who profit while our communities are being left behind and people are displaced.”
Russell criticized Johnson’s characterization, saying she talks about the need for more affordable housing while diminishing what he does for a living, he said.
Russell questioned her record, too. He claimed 40% of her donations in the 2023 election campaign came from the development community.
“Transparency is important. You need to know who you’re dealing with, and I don’t have anything up my sleeves but armpits,” Russell said.
Johnson attempted to rebut his statements but was cut off by moderators, who ended the forum.
Rather than grabbing his hand, Johnson looked up at Russell and asked where his campaign reports were. Russell smiled, dropped his hand and turned away.
“I’m interviewing for a part-time job, and you’re telling me I’m exploiting the community,” Russell told reporters after the forum. “I think it’s keeping it consistent with her character and the issue with professionalism and being open and honest. This is a campaign. There are going to be disagreements and contrasts, and we have to be professional enough to understand that.”
Johnson told reporters she was caught off guard by Russell’s closing statements and did not intend to snub his handshake.
“I am a professional. I would’ve shaken his hand, but if you noticed, I was shocked,” Johnson said. “He talked about my campaign reports when his campaign reports aren’t even viewable.”
The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website shows Russell has not yet filed his thirty-five day report, which was due on Aug. 5. A thirty-five day report shows campaign finance information 35 days before an election. Records also show Russell was a year-and-a-half late in filing a year-end finance report for his 2023 campaign, which he just filed this month.
District 4 candidates on affordable housing needs
Russell highlighted his experience building more than 500 affordable housing units in Charlotte. That’s given him an insider understanding of the issue unlike others on council, he said.
Developers often recoup construction prices through higher rent prices. Since rent on affordable housing is capped, Russell said developers have a hard time finding ways to finance these units.
The city does a good job of building affordable multi- and single-family homes, Russell said, but he would like to see more investment in smaller-scale units. Those projects would cost less to create and can be built more quickly for families who need them.
Johnson wants to provide more incentives to developers to help with construction costs, she said.
She also wants to improve wages so people can afford to live in the city, she said. She had a hand in raising city employee minimum wage from $23 to $24 an hour this spring and wants to see more work done on that front. Though, she said the city is limited in how it can impact private employers’ pay.
Johnson proposed the city adopt higher procurement policy standards for organization Charlotte contracts with, which could include an expectation for higher employee wages.
This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 2:34 PM.
