All of The Charlotte Observer’s endorsements in 2025 municipal elections

The Charlotte Observer editorial board has interviewed and researched the candidates who seek your vote in this year’s municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Here’s a recap of our recommendations for contested races on the Charlotte and Mecklenburg County ballot, including city council and school board races. Our full recommendations in all races can be found here.

Mayor

It’s been a challenging year for Charlotte, and the city’s leadership has stumbled through it. That includes several missteps by Mayor Vi Lyles, who needs to be a more assertive, public-facing leader during times of uncertainty. Still, we believe Lyles remains the best candidate for the job.

Charlotte City Council

At-large: Incumbents Dimple Ajmera, LaWana Slack-Mayfield and Victoria Watlington are all thoughtful and hard-working representatives who have earned another term. We also recommend former at-large council member Edwin Peacock III, a reasonable, thoughtful Republican who would provide much-needed ideological diversity to the council without being a disruptive force.

District 3: Democrat Joi Mayo, a former teacher and neighborhood leader, shows leadership and a deep understanding of the needs of her community. It would make her a great representative for her district.

District 6: Republican Krista Bokhari would bring measured, pragmatic leadership to the council, while also being a dissenting voice that serves the entire city well. Her leadership on public safety is also a welcome addition.

READ MORE: Our choices in mayor, city council races

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education

District 1: Incumbent Melissa Easley has been a strong voice on the board for students, teachers and parents, and she’s also been an independent one. She values transparency and community involvement — a welcome addition to a board that once operated in secrecy.

District 2: Voters have a great choice in Shamaiye Haynes, who brings a breadth of experience in various roles around the education community, She is particularly focused on improving family and community engagement with CMS, which she believes will help narrow achievement gaps. Her background and perspective would be a significant asset to the board.

District 4: Incumbent and board chair Stephanie Sneed has been a strong advocate for the district, pushing back against state and federal funding decisions that negatively impact CMS. She’s also made communication with parents a priority in times of uncertainty.

District 5: Incumbent Lisa Cline is willing to ask tough questions when needed and hold district leaders accountable, particularly when it comes to budget decisions and teacher pay. She’s also the only Republican currently on the board.

District 6: First-time candidate Anna London, president and CEO of Charlotte Works, has valuable experience with navigating large organizations. Her background in workforce development would be both a unique and useful addition to the board.

READ MORE: Our choices for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education

Transit tax referendum

There’s plenty of cause for concern about this referendum: the regressive nature of the sales tax, the risk of displacement, the unequal distribution of benefits throughout the county. But there’s also a lot of good in this transit plan, including much improved bus service and road upgrades that also benefit pedestrians and cyclists. Charlotte and Mecklenburg can’t afford to postpone progress any longer. We recommend voting Yes.

READ MORE: Our choice on the Mecklenburg transportation tax

This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 9:55 AM.