Observer endorsements: Our choices in Charlotte City Council elections

After dismal turnout in September’s primary, voters will once again head to the polls to decide who will represent them on Charlotte City Council. The past year has been an eventful one for city leaders. There’s finally a future for Eastland Yards, the city’s transit system is in disarray and battles over zoning and development are far from solved.

Unlike last year, though, this election cycle is a relatively quiet one. There are only a couple of open seats on council, so most incumbents have a clear path to re-election on Nov. 7. With many races effectively decided in the primary, there are only a few competitive races on November’s ballot. ‘

Here are our recommendations in those races:

At-large

There’s not a whole lot of action in this race. The four Democrats competing for the council’s four at-large seats have just one challenger: Libertarian candidate Steven DiFiore. Current at-large reps Dimple Ajmera, James “Smuggie” Mitchell and LaWana Slack-Mayfield and current District 3 representative Victoria Watlington won the Democratic primary in September.

According to the Carolina Journal, this the first time since 1975 that no Republican is running for an at-large seat in Charlotte. We’re disappointed that Republicans didn’t field candidates in such an important election, especially after running such a strong group last year. Of course, running citywide as a Republican is an uphill battle, and last year’s slate of GOP candidates got trounced at the polls. Still, the competition engendered healthy debate and gave voters a legitimate choice, and that’s good for democracy and Charlotte.

We endorsed Ajmera, Mitchell, Slack-Mayfield and Watlington in the Democratic primary. They have proven themselves to be hard-working and effective public servants, and we recommend them again in the general election.

District 3

Tiawana Brown won the Democratic primary for Watlington’s current seat. Brown has a significant presence in the community as founder of Beauty After the Bars, a nonprofit that provides assistance to formerly incarcerated women like her.

Compared to her Republican opponent, James H. Bowers, Brown has a firmer grasp of the issues that matter most to her constituents and would be the best fit for this deeply Democratic district that encompasses west Charlotte. We recommend Brown.

District 6

This is a rematch between Republican incumbent Tariq Bokhari and Democrat Stephanie Hand. Bokhari won last year’s contest by fewer than 400 votes. This historically red south Charlotte district is trending bluer and is now one of the most ideologically diverse areas of the city.

In his three terms on council, Bokhari has carved out a role for himself as a disruptor who routinely disagrees with the way the city handles issues like affordable housing and zoning policy. That can be a good thing, particularly when it pushes the council to think and act in ways it otherwise might not. Other times, though, Bokhari can be more of an instigator than a dissenter, which is far less beneficial to our city. He can come across as rash or deliberately provocative, as shown in a campaign mailer in which he implied violent crime is “out of control” in Charlotte even though statistics show it has actually declined.

Hand has spent the past year readying for this election, and it shows. She is a sharp, thoughtful candidate who shows a deep understanding of the city’s issues and a strong desire to solve them. She would be a moderate, pragmatic voice on council and would represent all of her district.

This is among the more difficult decisions the Editorial Board has faced, and it’s a tough choice for voters, too. Though we don’t always agree with Bokhari, we’ve endorsed him three times, because we believe dissenting voices are critical in a city and county increasingly dominated by Democrats. But those voices have to be responsible, and too often, Bokhari’s is not.

We recommend Hand.

This story was originally published October 25, 2023 at 5:00 AM.