Monifa Drayton to run for Mecklenburg commission seat long held by Vilma Leake
A prominent Charlotte Democrat plans to run for a Mecklenburg County Commission seat long held by another fixture in local politics.
Former Mecklenburg County Democratic Party executive director Monifa Drayton confirmed to The Charlotte Observer she will run in the 2026 Democratic primary to represent west Mecklenburg’s District 2, held since 2008 by Commissioner Vilma Leake. QCity Metro first reported Drayton’s candidacy.
“(I’m) hopeful that I will have the opportunity to carry Commissioner Leake’s legacy forward,” Drayton told the Observer.
Drayton resigned from her position with the county Democratic Party shortly after the 2024 election with a letter alleging “intolerable” working conditions, the Observer reported previously. She’s also a career coach and leadership consultant, campaign manager and the former interim president of the Arts & Science Council.
Leake, a teacher by trade, spent 11 years on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education before transitioning to the county commission.
Her tenure in public office has included controversial moments, including a heated exchange last year at the dais with fellow Commissioner George Dunlap and accusations of repeatedly calling a judge to discuss a sensitive juvenile court case involving a constituent, drawing a letter from a state attorney asking her to stop.
Leake’s 2024 primary challenger, Charles Osborne, made headlines for picking up notable endorsements and donations from the influential Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and two of Leake’s fellow commissioners.
But she defeated Osborne in that primary with 63.1% of the vote and won her general election against Republican Angela White Edwards with 74.4% of the vote.
Regardless of the next results in District 2, the county commission is guaranteed to have at least one new face after the 2026 election cycle. District 5 Commissioner Laura Meier announced previously she won’t seek a fourth term in office next year. Attorney Charles DeLoach already announced he’ll run as a Democrat in her district.
Candidate filing for 2026 elections opens Monday.
