Campaign reports reveal which Charlotte council candidates are raising most money
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Challengers outpaced incumbents in at-large Charlotte City Council fundraising.
- Mayor Vi Lyles raised $17K, maintaining nearly $100K on hand.
- In some district races, candidate finance reports weren’t available.
Campaign finance reports present a mixed bag for fundraising efforts in Charlotte City Council and mayoral races, with incumbents leading in some races but trailing by a wide margin in others.
The latest financial reporting period ran from July 30 to Aug. 26, and reports were due Tuesday. Campaign fundraising isn’t necessarily a sign of who will win an election, but reports can provide insight into who’s supporting candidates.
Challengers are generally raising more money in the crowded field of 12 at-large candidates who are vying for just four seats. In the final stretch before the Sept. 9 primary, the top three at-large fundraisers were challengers.
Edwin Peacock III, who won’t be on the ballot until November’s general election, raked in the most contributions during the reporting period. His campaign raised more than $30,000 and spent $0, leaving it with $30,951.60, according to his campaign finance report. He garnered the support of several notable figures this cycle, including former U.S. ambassador Mark Erwin, Blumenthal Arts CEO Thomas Gabbard and Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith.
Peacock is one of only two Republicans running at-large, and he faces an uphill battle. A Republican hasn’t won an at-large seat since he was last elected to the position in 2009.
He returned to city government this May after council appointed him to fill the District 6 seat vacated by former Councilman Tariq Bokhari, who stepped down to take a position in the Trump administration.
Matt Britt raised the second-highest amount this reporting period — about $25,941. That figure includes a $20,000 campaign loan, however. A majority of his contributions did not come from individual donors.
Britt’s campaign spent $11,027.09, leaving it with $16,010.42.
Political newcomer Namrata Yadav finished out the podium of top fundraisers. She raised $21,985 during the period and spent $15,700.99, leaving her campaign with $6,284.01, according to her report.
Dimple Ajmera raised the most out of the incumbents — $11,070. She also spent the most on the race — $16,490.07. Ajmera still has the most cash on hand, though, having amassed more than $160,000 between prior campaigns.
She’s followed by incumbent LaWana Slack-Mayfield, whose campaign raised $10,204 and spent $12,072.32. Slack-Mayfield has $19,190.68 remaining after the reporting period, according to her report.
Incumbent Victoria Watlington’s report was not available on the Board of Elections website, but she told The Charlotte Observer she submitted her finances earlier this week.
James “Smuggie” Mitchell received the fewest contributions out of the incumbents whose reports were available. He raised $8,460, spent $2,248.87 and has $8,376.70 remaining.
A little under one-third of his contributions came from developers, including two people who work for Crossland Southeast. That’s the developer working on the mixed-use Eastland Yards project at the former Eastland Mall site. Another one-third of his contributions came from attorneys, including South Carolina Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine.
Available records place Will Holley and Roderick Davis at the bottom of the pack for fundraising. Holley received $1,942.50 and spent $1,805.10, leaving his campaign with $356.48. Davis raised and spent $0, according to a copy of his report provided to the Observer. He is not accepting donations, he said.
Reports for J.G. Lockhart and Emerson Stoldt were not available on the Board of Elections website. Neither candidate responded to requests for comment. Misun Kim, the second Republican candidate in the at-large race, also did not have available reports. She told the Observer she hasn’t received any donations yet but has filed all necessary paperwork.
Lyles appears to lead fundraising in mayoral primary
With some candidate reports unavailable, incumbent Vi Lyles appeared to lead the way in fundraising among Democratic mayoral candidates in the weeks leading up to the primary.
She raised $17,050 in the period from July 30 to Aug. 26, according to her campaign finance report. Her campaign spent $3,485.98 during the period, leaving it with $99,712.28 cash on hand. Lyles’ report on the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website does not include an individual donors list. The Charlotte Observer has requested those pages of the report.
Fellow Democratic candidate Jaraun “Gemini” Boyd reported raising $1,638.21 in the same period. His campaign spent $1,168.42, leaving it with $469.58 cash on hand.
Mayor hopeful Brendan Maginnis brought in $442.06 in the latest fundraising period, and his campaign spent $2,341.49 in the same period, according to a copy of his campaign finance report provided to the Observer.
Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel said in an email she’s raised $656 during her current campaign for mayor, which is below the threshold to file a campaign finance report.
A pre-primary report from Democratic mayoral candidates Delter Kenny Guin III wasn’t available on the county or state Board of Elections websites, and he responded to a request from the Observer for his report.
Republican mayoral candidate Terrie Donovan, who doesn’t have a primary challenger, reported raising $450.00 in the period. Her campaign spent $19.20 in the period, leaving it with $430.80 cash on hand.
Anderson outraises challenger in City Council District 1
Mayor Pro Tem Dante Anderson outraised her challenger in the weeks leading up to the primary in her bid to keep her seat representing City Council District 1, which includes parts of uptown, NoDa and Plaza Midwood.
Anderson raised $28,450 during the period running from July 30 to Aug. 26, according to her campaign finance report. Her campaign spent $4,138.22 during the period, leaving it with $49,638.47 cash on hand heading into Election Day.
Donors to Anderson’s campaign during the period included former Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl, developer Tim Sittema, Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Board Chairman David Longo and NC Realtors. The Realtors group’s political wing, Neighbors Helping North Carolina, has sent out mailers and text messages in support of Anderson.
Her challenger, Charlene Henderson El, raised $5,816.14 in the same period, according to her campaign finance report. She also reported $3,006 in in-kind donations to herself. Henderson El’s campaign spent $3,206 during the period, leaving it with $2,710.14 cash on hand.
Although she trailed Anderson in fundraising, Henderson El reported donations from fellow politicians including Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board candidate Shamaiye Haynes, County Commissioner Yvette Townsend-Ingram, Republican City Council candidate Misun Kim, state Sen. Joyce Waddell and Democratic mayoral candidate Brendan Maginnis.
Brown outraised by two challengers in District 3
Tiawana Brown’s campaign fundraising trails her two Democratic opponents ahead of the primary for west Charlotte’s District 3.
Former Councilman Warren Turner has raised the most money as he looks to reclaim the seat he lost more than a decade ago. He served four terms between 2003 and 2011.
Turner raised $12,063.62 during the period and spent $4,393.26, leaving him with $11,537.62. His contributions include a more than $1,000 campaign loan.
Community activist Joi Mayo raised the second-highest amount in the district race — $8,580 this period. That includes a $1,000 donation from Larry Shaheen, an attorney and conservative political consultant.
Mayo’s campaign spent $5,709.47, leaving it with $10,915.70 cash on hand.
Brown received less than half the amount of Warren’s contributions and has less than a third of Mayo’s remaining cash on hand. She raised $5,919, spent $2,672.68 and has $3,271.32 remaining.
Housing activist Cedric Dean and community leader Bobby Drakeford, who briefly served as an appointed representative in the state house last fall, both contributed to her campaign.
Republican candidate James Bowers rounds out the pack, with just $750 raised, $234 spent and $880.04 remaining. His entire contribution this period came from the Mecklenburg County Republican Party. Unlike the others candidates, who are all Democrats, Bowers will not face a primary challenge.
Montravias King suspended his campaign in August but said he will still serve if elected. His reports were not available on the Board of Elections website.
Fundraising unclear in heated District 4 race
Campaign finances give little insight into the District 4 election, which is a rematch of the contentious 2023 campaign. Last cycle, Wil Russell notably picked up an endorsement from Lyles while Renee Perkins Johnson was actively serving in the role.
It’s unclear how much money Russell has spent and received in the period leading up to the primary. His campaign finances are not available on the Board of Elections website, but he told the Observer he already submitted his report.
Perkins Johnson, the incumbent, has raised $3,135 and spent $4,977.12. Her campaign has $3,251.41 on hand.
The two candidates previously clashed over campaign reports during a candidate forum in August. Russell accused Perkins Johnson of taking large sums of money from developer donors. When Russell extended his hand for a shake in the closing moments, Perkins Johnson did not return the favor, instead asking him where his reports were.
Perkins Johnson said she did not intend to snub him but was shocked that he mentioned her finances when his were not even publicly available. Records show Russell was a year-and-a-half late in filing his year-end finance report for his 2023 campaign, which he just filed in August. Records show his thirty-five day report, which shows campaign finance information 35 days before an election, was filed three weeks late.
Mazuera Arias attracts community leaders, out-of-state donors in District 5
District 5 lacks a full campaign finance picture, too.
Councilwoman Marjorie Molina’s report is not available on the Board of Elections website. When asked if she filed, Molina told the Observer she has a professional who handles her reports and is never late.
Her primary competitor, J.D. Mazuera Arias, raised $10,169 this period, according to his campaign finance report. His campaign spent $2,011.76 and has $20,985.43 remaining on hand.
Mazuera Arias attracted the attention of notable donors including Sil Ganzo, the executive director of refugee and immigrant-serving nonprofit ourBRIDGE, and Hilda Gurdian, the CEO of Spanish newspaper La Noticia. He also received a donation from at-large Durham City Councilwoman Alejandra Caballero.
However, more than 60% of his contributions came from out of state, according to his report. That includes $1,000 from the D.C.-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC and $3,000 from New York-based Leadership for Educational Equity, a nonprofit network that empowers leaders to build opportunity in their communities.
Fundraising in City Council District 6, Charlotte’s only Republican primary
Krista Bokhari, running to succeed her husband representing South Charlotte’s District 6, leads in fundraising for the district’s Republican primary.
She reported raising $25,050.32 in the period from July 30 to Aug. 26, according to a copy of her campaign finance report provided to the Observer. The campaign spent $6,540.09 in the period, leaving it with $54,510.23 cash on hand.
Her campaign received a $6,800 contribution from her husband’s campaign committee.
Bokhari’s competition in the Republican primary, Sary Chakra, raised $8,441.51 in the same period, according to his campaign finance report. His campaign spent $12,344.56 in the period, leaving it with $6,954.39 cash on hand. Chakra’s report on the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website does not include an individual donors list. The Observer has requested those pages of the report.
The Democratic candidate in District 6, Kimberly Owens, doesn’t have a primary challenger but is already bringing in money ahead of what’s expected to be a competitive general election race in November.
Owens raised $10,724.83 in the period running from July 30 to Aug. 26, according to her campaign finance report. Her donors so far include former Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl and the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund.
The campaign spent $9,216.47 during the period, leaving it with $14,842.60 cash on hand, the report said.
This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 10:20 AM.
