When it comes to Charlotte’s elections, the more candidates, the better | Opinion
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mayor Vi Lyles seeks reelection in 2025 with no major challengers yet filed.
- City leaders face scrutiny over CMPD settlement, stadium deal and transparency.
- Competitive races boost accountability and ensure all candidates earn support.
Elections should, theoretically, be a way to hold elected officials accountable. That’s especially true after the year Charlotte’s had.
Of course, that only works if the officials in question have to actually campaign. So far, it seems like may not be the case in Charlotte this year, at least not in the race for mayor. Vi Lyles announced last week she would seek reelection for the office. With only a few more days left of filing, which ends Friday at noon, no serious opponents have emerged yet.
One potential twist: Former Mayor Jennifer Roberts hinted she was considering a possible run, saying on social media that she believes “Charlotteans should have choices.”
Whether Roberts runs or not, she does have a point. Lyles may still be the best mayor for Charlotte, but voters should get the chance to decide that, and she should have to make her case to them. Lyles hasn’t had a serious primary or general election opponent since 2017, when she first ran for mayor. If there were any year for a competitive mayoral race, this ought to be it.
Charlotte leaders have stumbled over the past few months amid the controversial settlement between the city and outgoing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings. It’s divided council members, embarrassed the city and fractured public trust in leadership. Every elected official running for reelection this year should have to answer questions about it. And it seems like an election might be the only way to get those answers, given that leaders don’t seem too eager to provide them on their own anytime soon.
The situation has deepened preexisting concerns about transparency and decision-making. Those concerns were also present in the council’s decision to spend $650 million in public funds on renovating Bank of America Stadium, an effort that one national group dubbed the “Worst Economic Development Deal” in the country in 2024. The closed-door meetings that led to that decision and others is something else that leaders should have to answer for.
After news of the Jennings settlement broke in May, Lyles promised that the council would work to “improve” its processes and relationships. So far, that work doesn’t seem to have begun, though Lyles acknowledged then that much of it would not begin until this summer.
But it’s hard to demand answers and ensure promises are kept if a candidate doesn’t actually need your vote to win. It’s unquestionable that change is needed in Charlotte government, whether it’s simply a change in approach or a change in leadership altogether. But it’s rare that elected officials make such a change on their own,
Charlotte voters don’t just deserve a choice on their ballot for mayor. They deserve the same for city council, especially for the city’s four at-large seats. So far, two newcomers have filed to run for those seats — a good start. Another sign of healthy democracy: In District 3, two people have signed up to run against incumbent Tiawana Brown, who is under scrutiny after being indicted on federal wire fraud charges in May.
To be clear, this isn’t about ousting anyone. Any challenger would likely have an uphill battle to beating an incumbent, anyway. But there’s much more to accountability than just voting people out of office — it’s making elected officials earn the seats that they hold. There’s nothing wrong with every incumbent winning another term if it’s the result of a hard-run campaign that answers outstanding questions and makes voters feel heard.
At the end of the day, it’s really just about having options. Competitive elections are good for everyone — they increase the likelihood that the candidate who emerges is really the best one and encourage healthy dialogue about important issues. Charlotte voters should be able to choose their leaders, instead of having their leaders chosen for them by default.
