Full list: see who’s scoring endorsements in 2025 Charlotte City Council primary

The primary election is less than one week away in Charlotte, and mayoral and city council endorsements continue to roll in.

The outcome of the primary will determine the next council person in districts that do not have Republican candidates in the race, including districts 1, 4 and 5. In most races where there will be competition in the general election, the primary will still decide the likely winner.

Districts 2 and 7 do not have primary elections since respective incumbents Malcolm Graham and Ed Driggs do not have challengers whose names will appear on the ballot. District 3 has one Republican candidate who will face the Democratic primary winner in the November general election, and District 6 has one Democratic candidate who will later face the Republican primary winner.

Some groups, including The Charlotte Observer’s editorial board, only considered candidates who are facing a primary challenge. Others looked at the entire candidate field to choose endorsements.

Here’s a look at who some of the prominent people and organizations in Charlotte are supporting.

Black Political Caucus

The Black Political Caucus is considered one of the most important endorsing bodies in the race, with a record of supporting candidates who go on to win. In the 2023 primary election, all of its endorsees won their respective council contests, though not all were successful in the general election.

This year, the BPC sided mostly with incumbents with just two exceptions. In District 6, where the seat is open after former City Councilman Tariq Bokhari stepped down in April to take a position in the Trump administration, the BPC endorsed attorney Kimberly Owens, the only Democrat running.

And in District 3, the BPC supported political newcomer and community activist Joi Mayo over incumbent Tiawana Brown. Mayo was the only upset in this year’s slate of endorsements. Brown is serving her first term and faces felony fraud charges.

The caucus’ endorsement process faced scrutiny for allegedly disenfranchising some voters. Multiple candidates reported instances where caucus members who requested ballots did not receive them.

Accusations were especially strong in District 3. Candidate Montravias King suspended his campaign shortly after the BPC certified its endorsements. He said the BPC should hold a new round of voting and encouraged those who voted for him the first time to instead give their votes to Brown, whom he personally endorsed.

WFAE reported that Brown also questioned the results and said one of her supporters requested a ballot but did not receive one.

The BPC defended its results.

“This process was carried out in a fair and transparent manner, ensuring accuracy and integrity in tabulation,” the caucus said in a Facebook post announcing its endorsements.

Here is a full list of the BPC endorsements:

• Mayor: Vi Lyles
• At-large: Dimple Ajmera, LaWana Slack-Mayfield, James Mitchell and Victoria Watlington
• District 1: Dante Anderson
• District 2: Malcolm Graham
• District 3: Joi Mayo
• District 4: Renee Johnson
• District 5: Marjorie Molina
• District 6: Kimberly Owens

Service Employees International Union

32BJ SEIU, a union representing 20,000 contracted airline workers on the East Coast, and SEIU Workers United selected six candidates to endorse.

Airport worker pay has been a big topic in Charlotte in recent years. Hundreds of airport workers went on strike during Thanksgiving week last year in their quest for higher wages and safer working conditions. In 2023, they organized a rally in partnership with the Service Employees International Union.

And just this spring, The Charlotte City Council narrowly voted against a motion to study ways to improve conditions for airport contract workers. It came down to a tie-breaking vote from Mayor Vi Lyles.

SEIU is endorsing the incumbents who supported the failed motion as well as one newcomer. The union says its endorsees are all “leaders who have met with airport workers to hear their concerns and have pressed for higher standards and safer, fairer conditions at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.”

J.D. Mazuera Arias, who is running to unseat Councilwoman Marjorie Molina in east Charlotte’s District 5, is the only upset among its endorsements.

Here is a full list:

• At-large: Dimple Ajmera, LaWana Slack-Mayfield and Victoria Watlington
• District 3: Tiawana Brown
• District 4: Renee Perkins Johnson
• District 5: J.D. Mazuera Arias

Charlotte Firefighters

The local chapter of the International Association of Firefighters supported five candidates after its executive board met with candidates in question and answer sessions, according to the association’s Facebook.

The Charlotte firefighters union did not endorse candidates for most seats or elaborate on its reasoning behind those it did support.

Here is a full list:

• At-large: Dimple Ajmera, LaWana Slack-Mayfield and Victoria Watlington
• District 4: Renee Perkins Johnson
• District 6: Krista Bokhari

Charlotte Police

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police has announced a handful of endorsements on social media. Here’s who has their support:

• Mayor: Brendan K. Maginnis
• At-large: Dimple Ajmera, Matt Britt, Victoria Watlington and Namrata Yadav
• District 3: Joi MayoDistrict 4: Renee Perkins Johnson
• District 6: Krista Bokhari

LGBTQ+ Democrats of Mecklenburg County

The LGBTQ+ Democrats doesn’t release typical endorsements. That is, they don’t just throw their support behind one candidate for each seat.

The group instead releases comprehensive scorecards that rank every candidate from concerning to “excellent” based on their responses to a survey. This year’s survey determined there are 11 “excellent” candidates, including at-large Councilwoman Slack-Mayfield, who serves as the group’s second vice chair.

The LGBTQ+ Democrats also deemed both District 5 candidates, Mazuera Arias and Molina, “excellent” choices.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the group considered District 3 candidate Warren Turner the only “concerning” Charlotte candidate. He represented the district for several terms before being ousted amid a sexual harassment scandal.

The LGBTQ+ Democrats favored District 4 candidate Wil Russell over incumbent Renee Perkins Johnson, who received a “sufficient” designation. Mayo also edged out Brown in District 3.

At-large Councilwoman Victoria Watlington received the lowest score among the incumbents. She was deemed “insufficient.”

Here is a full list of the candidates whom the LGBTQ+ Democrats of Mecklenburg County considers “excellent”:

• Mayor: Vi Lyles
• At-large: Dimple Ajmera, LaWana Slack-Mayfield, James Mitchell and Namrata Yadav
• District 1: Dante Anderson
• District 3: Joi Mayo
• District 4: Wil Russell
• District 5: J.D. Mazuera Arias and Marjorie Molina
• District 6: Kimberly Owens

Hugh McColl

Hugh McColl is one of the most prominent names around Charlotte. Among other things, he served as Bank of America’s first CEO until his retirement in 2001. At 90 years old, he’s still active in the city’s political scene and continues to donate to campaigns.

Two at-large candidates touted his endorsement so far this election cycle: Dimple Ajmera and Namrata Yadav.

McColl confirmed his support for both candidates. He told the Observer he is also endorsing Lyles for mayor and Owens for District 6, among others whom he could not immediately recall over the phone.

NC Asian Americans Together

North Carolina Asian Americans Together is an advocacy group focused on uplifting Asian Americans in political spaces. Its sister organization, NCAAT in Action, endorses candidates across the state who have similar commitments to equity for the Asian American community, according to its website. People of all backgrounds and nationalities can earn this endorsement.

This year, two Charlotte City Council candidates are among a select group of seven people statewide who earned the NCAAT in Action endorsement:

• At-large: Dimple Ajmera and Namrata Yadav

The Charlotte Observer

The Observer’s editorial board said in its endorsements something needs to change in city governance as “a startling lack of transparency” led to troubling headlines this term.

Opinion writers comprise the editorial board, which operates separately from the Observer’s news team.

The board ultimately favored most incumbents, including the mayor and every current at-large council member. Matt Britt and Yadav received compliments for their campaign messages, but it wasn’t enough to secure the Observer’s endorsement.

The editorial board pivoted a bit more on district representation.

Here is a full list:

• Mayor: Vi Lyles
• At-large: Dimple Ajmera, LaWana Slack-Mayfield, James Mitchell and Victoria Watlington
• District 1: Dante Anderson
• District 3: Joi Mayo
• District 4: Renee Perkins Johnson
• District 5: J.D. Mazuera Arias
• District 6: Krista Bokhari

This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.

Nick Sullivan

The Charlotte Observer

Nick Sullivan covers city government for The Charlotte Observer. He studied journalism at the University of South Carolina, and he previously covered education for The Arizona Republic and The Colorado Springs Gazette.