Who Wants the Whole City? Inside Charlotte’s At-Large Council Free-for-All
In a city where most council seats hinge on hyperlocal concerns — zoning in District 1, bus stops in District 3, drive-thrus in District 6 — the at-large seats are different. They belong to everyone. Or at least, that’s the idea.
Charlotte voters will choose four at-large City Council members this fall from a primary field of 12. Ten are Democrats. Two are Republicans. One is currently appointed. Four are incumbents. At least five are trying to run against City Hall without sounding like a YouTube comment section.
The full profiles are up now, part of our Poll Dance 2025 coverage. What follows is a guided tour.
The Democratic Mainstays
The current at-large delegation is made up of four Democrats, all seeking re-election:
- Dimple Ajmera, Budget Chair, brand architect of Charlotte’s “Build It, Pay For It” urbanism.
- James “Smuggie” Mitchell Jr., the utility infielder of city politics. Been around since 1999, minus a brief 2021 contract kerfuffle.
- Dr. Victoria Watlington, engineer, former District 3 rep, and lead voice on police severance criticism.
- LaWana Slack-Mayfield, longtime LGBTQ+ advocate and former District 3 rep. She’s done this dance before.
Together, they form a formidable slate. The challenge? They also form a target.
The Democratic Challengers
This year’s primary is unusually crowded. The big themes? Housing. Equity. Public trust. Oh, and traffic.
- Matt Britt: Early-childhood nonprofit leader. Think: education-first liberal with cross-county reach.
- Will Holley: Mental-health advocate. PTA president. Founder of Will’s the Way. Lost a son to suicide. His platform is empathy at full volume.
- Roderick Davis: Warehouse worker. Perennial candidate. Loves a policy debate. Doesn’t love the status quo.
- Emerson Stoldt: Architect. Urbanist. Policy wonk with a blueprint for walkable density and equitable growth.
- J.G. Lockhart: Community activist backed by DSA. Running on the power of local civic literacy and anti-car centrism.
- Namrata “N.Y.” Yadav: Indian-American executive. Message: Charlotte is for everyone — or it should be.
This cohort represents the leftward (and sometimes just plain newer) edges of the Democratic coalition.
The Republicans
There are two. One is relatively new. The other is very, very not.
- Misun Kim: Realtor. Former mayoral candidate. Message: fiscal restraint, cultural traditionalism, transit skepticism.
- Edwin Peacock III: The Republican Charlotteans might actually name unprompted. Former councilmember. Currently serving in District 6 by appointment. Running citywide again for the first time in a decade. His slogan might as well be “Civility, With Receipts.” peacockforcharlotte.com
Peacock’s reemergence complicates Democratic arithmetic. If he consolidates the moderate middle, someone on the left gets squeezed.
The Math
There are four at-large seats.
- Democrats are guaranteed two seats in a general.
- Republicans are guaranteed none.
- That leaves two up for grabs.
But this year’s primary could be the whole game. If turnout is low (it usually is), the Democratic nominees will be selected by a few thousand voters citywide.
Expect battles over endorsements, party unity, and whether the term “equity” now comes with a voter translation guide.
For an analysis of why Democrats are essentially guaranteed two seats, Why Democrats Routinely Win Charlotte’s At-Large Council Seats — And Republicans Don’t
What to Watch
- Watlington vs. the field: She topped the 2023 general and took on the CMPD payout story head-on. That builds name ID, but it also builds enemies.
- Ajmera’s budget pitch: Nobody else can speak fluently about capital stacks and interfund transfers. Will voters care?
- Holley’s insurgency: He may be the only candidate blending personal tragedy with coalition organizing.
- Turnout, turnout, turnout: Primary voters in citywide races tend to be older, wealthier, and more skeptical of candidates who’ve never attended a rezoning hearing.
This race is about who gets to speak for the whole city. And whether Charlotte is ready to let someone new take the mic.
Complete profiles, contact information, voting timelines, and in-depth details are now available in our Candidate Guide.
About the Author
Jack Beckett is the senior writer for The Charlotte Mercury. He drinks too much coffee, walks too fast through rezoning meetings, and still calls it “Stonewall Street.” You can find more of Jack’s work at cltmercury.com, especially in our Politics, News, and Housing sections. And if you’re brave enough, subscribe to our newsletter, drop us a tip, or just yell at us on Twix.
We’re covering the full 2025 election with original reporting, guides, and political obituaries. Join the dance: Poll Dance 2025.
Everything we publish is privacy-first and politics-last. You won’t find tracking pixels, autoplay, or sponsored “content” here. Just deeply reported, ad-supported journalism that doesn’t waste your time.
Start with our Privacy Policy, read The Fine Print, or yell at legal through our Terms of Service. To pitch, partner, or correct our grammar: Contact Us.
Creative Commons License
© 2025 Strolling Ballantyne / The Charlotte Mercury
This article, “Who Wants the Whole City? Inside Charlotte’s At-Large Council Free-for-All,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
“Who Wants the Whole City? Inside Charlotte’s At-Large Council Free-for-All”
by Jack Beckett, The Charlotte Mercury (CC BY-ND 4.0)
