Montravias King, Charlotte City Council District 3 candidate, answers our questions
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Voter Guide 2025: Read answers for Charlotte City Council District 3
West Charlotte’s District 3 features a Democratic primary contest between incumbent Tiawana Brown as well as challengers Montravias King, Joi Mayo and Warren F. Turner. King has suspended his campaign and endorsed Brown, but King will still appear on ballots. The election is complicated by the fact that Brown faces felony fraud charges, which could force her to resign or drop out of the race if convicted. Brown has not been convicted of any crime associated with her recent charges.
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Tiawana Brown, Charlotte City Council District 3 candidate, answers our questions
Warren Turner, Charlotte City Council District 3 candidate, answers our questions
Joi Mayo, Charlotte City Council District 3 candidate, answers our questions
Montravias King, Charlotte City Council District 3 candidate, answers our questions
To help inform voters in the Sept. 9, 2025, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The Charlotte Observer to help make this coverage possible.
Editor’s note: Montravias King suspended his campaign on August 12, but will remain on the ballot for the primary.
Name: Montravias King
Email: kingmontravias@gmail.com
Political party: Democratic
Which position are you running for on the Charlotte City Council? Charlotte City Council District 3
Age: 34
Campaign website or social media page: montraviasking.com
Occupation: Non-profit Executive
Education: Master of Public Administration (NCCU) Bachelor of Political Science (ECSU Elizabeth City State University)
Have you run for and/or held elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought and/or held)
Elizabeth City Council (2013-2015)
Please list your highlights of civic involvement
I am currently a member of Keep Charlotte Beautiful, NC Offshore Wind Coalition, and Energize NC Community Advisory Board. I previously served on the NC Taskforce for Offshore Wind Economic Resources Strategies as a Subcommittee Member.
What are the most important issues facing Charlotte, and how would you address them?
The top issue facing Charlotte right now is public safety—and I’m the only candidate in this race who has released a comprehensive plan to address it.
My plan is built on three pillars:
1. Supporting CMPD while also holding them accountable to the communities they serve,
2. Investing in youth intervention and prevention programs, and
3. Tackling the growing mental health and addiction crisis head-on.
This is how we build real trust and lasting safety—not just react to crime, but prevent it. Affordable housing remains a crisis in our city. But we have tools to make a real impact. My plan focuses on strengthening public-private partnerships, revisiting the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), and redesigning the Housing Trust Fund to make it more effective and equitable.
This is not something the City can or should do alone—we need a whole-of-community approach. Economic mobility ties everything together. Too many families in District 3 and across Charlotte are working hard but can’t make ends meet. I’m committed to reassessing our workforce development programs and working with CMS, Mecklenburg County, and employers to create real pathways to good-paying, stable jobs so people can build better lives for themselves and their families.
The city of Charlotte provided CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings with more than $305,000 in a deal reached during a private meeting – details of which were not available until news outlets started reporting on the issue. Did the city handle this correctly based on what the public knows about the situation? Why or why not?
I can’t say definitively whether the City handled this situation appropriately, because the public information available right now is limited—and I was not privy to the closed session meeting or its minutes. What I can say, and what I will commit to as a member of City Council, is this: when large sums of taxpayer money are involved, transparency and accountability must be the standard.
How will you earn public trust in the wake of public controversies that roiled City Council this spring?
I will earn the public’s trust by always listening and making myself available to talk about the issues impacting District 3 and our city. Even when there’s disagreement, open dialogue should remain a cornerstone of public service. That’s how we build accountability and move our community forward—together
How will you work to improve transparency within city government?
I will work to improve transparency within city government by requesting a comprehensive review of all current policies and procedures. It’s important that Council regularly evaluates how we operate to ensure we are adhering to the highest and most current ethical standards of governance. The public deserves a government that is not only effective, but also accountable and transparent in everything it does.
The General Assembly has given Mecklenburg County permission to put a referendum on the ballot to raise the county’s sales tax to fund road, rail and bus projects. Will you vote in favor of the referendum? Why or why not?
I support—and will vote for—the one-cent sales tax referendum because District 3 urgently needs investment in roads, transit, and infrastructure. But my support is rooted in a firm commitment to equity, transparency, and accountability. District 3 has been disinvested for far too long. This referendum is an opportunity to change that narrative and deliver the long-overdue improvements our communities deserve. But we must ensure that this investment does not come at the cost of displacement—especially in neighborhoods that have already borne the brunt of Charlotte’s growth. Our residents deserve safer streets, better bus service, and more connected neighborhoods—but they also deserve to stay in the communities they helped build. We can and must do both: fight for the infrastructure we need, and fight just as hard for the protections our residents deserve. I will work to ensure this tax delivers real value for working families—without pushing them out of their homes
Is there an area where you disagree with your party on local or state issues? Why?
I believe in the values of the Democratic Party, especially when it comes to equity, opportunity, and justice—but I also believe in independent thinking and putting my community first.
What separates you from your opponent(s)?
What sets me apart is my experience. I’m the only candidate with local, state, and federal legislative and advocacy experience. I know how government works and how to get things done. I bring proven leadership without scandal, focused on delivering results. District 3 deserves a council member ready to lead from day one with integrity and commitment.
What one professional or political accomplishment are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of helping lead the fight to expand voting rights for college students while I was a student at Elizabeth City State University. We challenged efforts to suppress student voters—especially those at HBCUs like ECSU—and we won. That victory protected student voting rights across North Carolina and proved that standing up for what’s right can lead to real, lasting change.
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
