Mecklenburg GOP candidate drops out of 2026 election after shooting at his house
A candidate for the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners is ending his campaign and moving out of his home weeks after someone shot at his house.
Aaron Marin, Republican candidate for north Mecklenburg’s District 1, announced Wednesday he was dropping out of the race “as a direct result of this incident and the ongoing lack of resolution.”
In a statement, Marin said his family has “been forced to leave our home, change our routines, and live in constant fear.”
“Under different circumstances, I would have remained committed to this role, and I look forward to serving my community in the future. We are now living displaced, in fear, and under constant stress. Our children are carrying emotional trauma that continues to deepen with each passing day without answers or accountability,” he said.
The drive-by shooting happened in mid-February. Marin previously said he was inside his home with his wife and their two young sons when shots hit the residence. Huntersville Police previously said they believe the shooting was targeted because “the homeowner is a candidate in a local political race” and that the FBI was assisting with the investigation.
In his latest statement Wednesday, Marin said “there has still been no arrest, no resolution, and no clear timeline for accountability.”
“Through this process, we have uncovered serious concerns about public safety infrastructure in Huntersville. Major streets, commercial areas, and high-traffic zones lack adequate surveillance. In many cases, there are no cameras at all—or the cameras that do exist are too low in quality to be effective,” Marin said. “This is not a minor issue—it is a critical gap that directly impacts investigations and delays justice.”
Marin called for Huntersville to “invest in stronger surveillance, better infrastructure, and a more urgent response to violent crime.”
“This is bigger than our family. This is about the safety of the entire Huntersville community,” he said. “We are calling for immediate action — not only to resolve this case, but to address the systemic gaps that allowed this to happen.”
A spokesman for the Huntersville Police Department told The Charlotte Observer the department and town have no comment on Marin’s statement as it “involves an active investigation.”
Marin, a business owner, ran unsuccessfully for the same seat in 2024.
The incumbent in District 1, Elaine Powell, previously announced she wouldn’t run for reelection in 2026. Democrat Morris McAdoo won a March primary for the seat.
This story was originally published March 25, 2026 at 4:38 PM.
