‘My story isn’t a weakness.’ Charlotte council candidate hasn’t voted in city elections
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2025 Voter Guide: Charlotte City Council and mayor election
Charlotte voters will choose candidates for mayor and council in the September primary. In The Charlotte Observer’s voter guide for the election, read about Mayor Vi Lyles, the most competitive council races and questionnaires from all candidates on the ballot.
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CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to state that Will Holley has voted in midterm and presidential elections, but he hasn’t voted before in a city of Charlotte election. It also has been corrected so the headline fully reflects Holley’s original statement. A previous version of the story misrepresented his voting record. We apologize for the errors.
A candidate on the primary ballot for municipal office in Charlotte has never voted in a city council election, state records show.
Will Holley, who is running in the Democratic primary for an at-large seat on the Charlotte City Council, has never voted in a city election, according to the State Board of Elections’ Voter Search. He’s a first-time candidate for public office. He has voted in midterm and presidential elections in 2024, 2022, 2020 and 2016.
Holley, 47, said in his Observer candidate survey he has “a strong record of civic involvement rooted in service and equity,” including serving on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee and as president of the Eastway Middle School Parent Teacher Association.
“I represent the majority of Charlotte residents who feel disconnected from this system, and I’m running to bridge that gap, strengthen our government and make City Hall accessible to every person it serves,” he said in a statement.
Fellow first-time candidate Delter Kenny Guin III, a Democrat challenging incumbent Vi Lyles for mayor, hasn’t voted since the 2012 general election, the state’s portal says.
Guin, a banker and author, said in his Observer candidate survey his past civic engagement includes volunteering “with a number of organizations and local hospitals” and advocating for the homeless community.
He did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Observer about his voting record.
State records show other candidates on the Charlotte ballot have generally voted in recent election cycles. Some, according to the state portal, have already voted early in this year’s election.
Voter turnout in Mecklenburg County tends to trail the rest of North Carolina in recent elections. Just 4.92% of eligible voters cast ballots in Charlotte’s 2023 municipal primary.
Early voting in the 2025 primary runs through 3 p.m. Saturday, and primary Election Day is Tuesday.
This story was originally published September 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
