4 maps show how Charlotte’s 2026 primary upsets — and McFadden’s win — happened
Several new candidates on Mecklenburg County ballots unseated incumbents this week, with two state lawmaker candidates defeating their opponents in landslides.
State Reps. Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeed, who lost their bids to keep north Charlotte’s District 106 and District 99, faced months of scrutiny for siding with Republicans with Raleigh.
Cunningham joined the GOP in overriding Stein’s veto of a bill requiring county sheriffs to cooperate more with federal immigration officials. Majeed voted with Republicans to override Stein’s veto of a controversial bill about sexuality, religion in schools and school libraries.
Cunningham declared in a floor speech that “all cultures are not equal.” She later walked back those remarks in a campaign video but did not say she would change her vote.
Her opponent, Rodney Sadler, defeated her by 48 percentage points. Every single precinct in her district turned on her in droves.
Valeria Levy, who ran against Majeed, similarly picked up overwhelming support in every single precinct.
Levy called her win a victory for a “grassroots campaign.”
“Our community is diverse and growing, and my commitment is to represent all people in District 99,” she said in a statement. “Everyone deserves to feel seen, heard, and respected by their elected officials.”
Another upset on Mecklenburg County ballots was for the Board of Commissioners District 2 seat, but the margin was much closer. Monifa Drayton defeated Vilma Leake, who has held that position since 2008, by 3.8 percentage points.
District 2 voters were torn. Areas surrounding the airport came out firmly for the incumbent, while the precincts lining the western-most edge of the district went firmly for Drayton.
Drayton will face Republican Angela White Edwards in November, though the Republican Party has not historically fared well in the district.
Predominantly Black voting precincts in the city’s “crescent” delivered Sheriff Garry McFadden’s primary win, while mostly white precincts south of the city center chose his opponents.
McFadden defeated his opponents in the Democratic primary with 33.8% of the vote, leading Ricky Robbins by about 2.8 percentage points. Picking up support from the crescent was key to his success, according to an analysis by The Charlotte Observer.
Charlotte’s “crescent” and “wedge” are references to how the city developed over decades due to segregation and discrimination. The “crescent” includes much higher percentages of Black and Hispanic residents as it arcs around uptown covering parts of west, north and east Charlotte. The “wedge” largely covers south Charlotte, with its northern tip extending into Plaza Midwood and NoDa, and has higher percentages of white and higher income families.
Observer reporters Nick Sullivan and Mary Ramsey contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
