Delter Guin III, Charlotte mayor candidate, answers our questions
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Voter Guide 2025: Read answers for Charlotte mayor
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles is seeking a fifth term at the head of city government and facing four challengers in the Democratic primary. The winner will advance to the general election, where challengers from the Republican and Libertarian parties await. Lyles did not respond to The Charlotte Observer’s questionnaire.
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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.
Name: Delter K. Guin, III
Email: delterforthepeople@usa.com
Political party: Democrat
Age: 38
Campaign website or social media page: www.DelterForThePeople.com
Occupation: Banker, Author
Education: Garinger Senior High School - Charlotte, NC
Have you run for and/or held elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought and/or held)
N/A
Please list your highlights of civic involvement
I am an advocate for homelessness. I have adopted streets in Charlotte to help keep the city clean and have worked with a number of organizations and local hospitals as a volunteer.
What are the most important issues facing Charlotte, and how would you address them as mayor?
Housing & affordability are among the most important issues facing Charlotte residents, and as Mayor I would work to ensure everyone has a roof over their heads through various programs and secure funding for shelters and new build projects and work with state legislators to create a rent cap and fight for an increase in minimum wage. That would bridge the gap for homelessness & affordability in the community.
What strengths do you bring to the position that set you apart from your opponents?
My strengths are my vision for the city, my goals to cast a light on those not seen or heard and bring those forgotten into the future with Charlotte. The city only thrives when everyone not just a select community has opportunity. Too many Charlotteans have been ignored and forgotten about as the city has grown.
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 am for transparency and it’s clear this was done in private yet with tax payers dollars. I believe the city could have and should have been open, honest and upfront regarding this matter and brought it to the floor for a vote in a public setting along with explanations on their reasoning and why they voted the way they did.
How will you work to improve transparency within city government?
I plan to create a page on the city website that would give live updates to all matters pertaining to the city and taxpayer dollars. I also intend to address matters as it relates to the city directly and in townhalls as well.
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?
No I will not vote in favor of anything raising taxes right now. I would like to see a budget put forth where we can look for alternative methods to fund city and county projects with already collected taxpayer dollars instead of having to hit residents with higher taxes.
This story was originally published August 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
