Charlotte’s new mayor could be the force that City Council badly needs | Opinion
On Monday night, Charlotte City Council appointed attorney Robert Harrington to finish out the term of Mayor Vi Lyles, who will step down at the end of the month.
Harrington has no experience in elected office, but he does have experience in civic leadership as president of the North Carolina Bar Association and former chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library Board.
It’s an interesting choice, given that there were three finalists who do have political experience, including two at the city level. But Harrington may be the best person to lead Charlotte right now. What Charlotte needs most in a mayor is someone who can bring harmony to city council, as council members frequently find themselves at odds with one another in ways that are counterproductive to progress. That’s something that Harrington pointed to in his interview with council members last week, noting that his experience as a litigator has strengthened his ability to resolve disagreements. The ability to bring people together was one of Lyles’ greatest strengths, and that trait was highly valued by council members when choosing her successor.
Harrington also seems like a mayor who can preserve relationships between the city and the state, and find a pragmatic balance between corporate and community interests. He described himself as a “process person” who wants to make sure all voices are heard, and he has relationships with people across North Carolina that may need to be leveraged as Charlotte and other Mecklenburg County municipalities deal with fallout from their vote to kill the controversial I-77 toll lanes project.
Harrington also has stressed a commitment to rebuilding trust and transparency between members of council, city staff and the public. That’s something city government sorely needs, as one complaint about Lyles’ tenure has been a waning commitment to transparency. In many cases, it’s felt like major decisions have been made before council members even sat down to vote at the dais. That’s damaged the council’s relationship with the public, which rightly feels left out of the process.
It also helps that council members seem to trust that Harrington has no real political aspirations of his own. While all five finalists said they have no intention of running for the position in 2027, that promise has been broken before. Dan Clodfelter was appointed mayor in 2014 with the understanding that he would not run for a full term, but he ultimately chose to do so anyway. According to sources familiar with the situation, some council members feared that Mayor Pro Tem James Mitchell and community leader Carrie Cook could decide to run in 2027. A mayor focused solely on the city and its future, rather than their own political career, is the stabilizing force that Charlotte needs right now.
Interestingly, the council did not choose the preferred finalist of the Black Political Caucus, one of Charlotte’s most influential political groups. The BPC endorsed former city councilman and county commissioner Harold Cogdell. In fact, Harrington came in last place in the BPC vote. The choice is particularly surprising given that several council members are considering a run for mayor in 2027 and will want the BPC’s endorsement in the Democratic primary.
Ultimately, though, the best choice for mayor was always going to be the person that a majority of council members could agree on. For a council that seems to spend a lot of its time disagreeing, that consensus goes a long way. Hopefully, Harrington’s appointment will be the first step toward more stable and functional governance in Charlotte.
Deputy Opinion Editor Paige Masten covers politics and the 2026 elections for The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer.
This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 10:34 AM.
