Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles moves closer to historic 5th term with 2025 primary win
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles on Tuesday won the Democratic mayoral primary amid a punishing week in the national spotlight.
With all precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Lyles with 70.8% of the 42,442 ballots counted. Her comfortable lead over her four primary challengers never wavered as votes rolled in.
She’ll move on to face two more challengers in November’s general election. If she wins a fifth term, she would be the city’s second-longest serving mayor. She currently shares that distinction with two others.
“I’m very, very humbled by the idea that we can continue to work together for this community and this city to be a place that people choose to live and have the opportunity to thrive,” Lyles told The Charlotte Observer.
Lyles weathered criticism from across the country over the death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed while riding a light rail in South End. Critics panned Lyles’ subdued initial response and blamed the policies of Charlotte officials for failing to prevent the murder. She issued a stronger statement on Monday calling Zarutska’s death “a tragic failure by the courts and magistrates.”
The outcry wasn’t enough to sway the primary against her. However, she received the lowest share of votes since her first run in 2017. Her share was down by 14 percentage points compared to last cycle.
Election night results showed Brendan K. Maginnis trailing Lyles with 12.2%, followed by Jaraun “Gemini” Boyd with 10% of the vote, Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel with 4.2% and Delter Kenny Guin III with 2.8%.
“I believe that Charlotte can be the best city in this country,” Lyles told the Observer. “We just have to figure out how to do it well.
Who is Vi Lyles?
A lifelong public servant, Lyles enjoyed mostly positive reception across her first four terms. She has been hailed for her deep understanding of local government and ability to reach across the aisle to implement her agenda. She worked for years as Charlotte’s budget director and assistant city manager.
Lyles was first elected in 2013 to an at-large seat on Charlotte City council and served two terms before running for mayor. She defeated incumbent Mayor Jennifer Roberts in 2017 in what was perhaps her last major competition for the office. She’s handily defeated every challenger since.
During her tenure, council passed the Unified Development Ordinance, which is a comprehensive zoning and land development rulebook intended to guide future growth. She also launched the Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative, a public-private partnership with a goal of raising $250 million to address racial disparities and invest in the city’s six Corridors of Opportunity.
Vi Lyles tenure
Her latest term brought career highs and lows.
Lyles successfully championed a 1% sales tax referendum after years of laying the groundwork. The measure will appear on voters’ ballots this year and could overhaul the region’s transportation system.
But the city has also faced a recent string of controversies under her leadership and calls for greater transparency.
In May, council approved a settlement agreement with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings worth more than $305,000 during a private meeting. Then, in June, Lyles cast the tiebreaking vote deciding not to study ways to improve working conditions for airport employees.
Her challengers have highlighted these controversies as evidence the city is due for a changing of the guard.
Republican Terrie Donovan and Libertarian Rob Yates will face Lyles in the general election. Donovan is a political newcomer, but Yates ran against her in 2023 and lost by a wide margin. Lyles captured nearly three quarters of the vote that year.
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 8:26 PM.
CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to state that Terrie Donovan is the 2025 Republican mayoral candidate. A previous version of this story was incorrect.
