Mecklenburg County’s 2025 Results: Transit Tax Wins, Council Shake‑Ups and a Blue Wave
Transit Tax Passes After Years of Debate
Mecklenburg voters approved a one‑cent sales‑tax increase dedicated to a 30‑year, $19.4 billion transportation plan. Official returns show 92,251 votes for the measure (52.13 percent) and 84,716 votes against (47.87 percent). The tax will raise the county’s total sales‑tax rate to 8.25 percent beginning July 1 2026 and divide revenue among rail lines, bus system upgrades and local road, bike and pedestrian projects. A new 27‑member regional authority will oversee spending.
Lyles Wins Fifth Term as Charlotte Mayor
Incumbent mayor Vi Lyles cruised to a fifth term. She received 92,239 votes (70.43 percent) to Republican challenger Terrie D. Donovan’s 33,465 votes (25.55 percent). Libertarian Rob Yates garnered 4,702 votes (3.59 percent), and write‑ins totaled 554 votes (0.42 percent). Lyles’ landslide victory underscores continued public support for her agenda: expanding affordable housing, investing in transit and growing the city’s workforce.
At‑Large Council Seats: Democrats Hold Serve
Charlotte’s four at‑large council seats remain in Democratic hands. Dimple Ajmera led all candidates with 96,364 votes (21.07 percent). Victoria Watlington followed closely with 94,966 votes (20.76 percent), James “Smuggie” Mitchell Jr. tallied 89,933 votes (19.66 percent), and LaWana Slack‑Mayfield secured 87,624 votes (19.16 percent). Republicans Edwin Peacock III and Misun Kim trailed far behind with 46,115 votes (10.08 percent) and 36,493 votes (7.98 percent), while write‑in candidates received 5,859 votes (1.28 percent).
District Races: A Flip and a Freshman
- District 1: Incumbent Democrat Dante Anderson ran virtually unopposed, collecting 97.24 percent of votes, with write‑ins making up the remainder.
- District 2: Democrat Malcolm Graham likewise faced no serious opposition and earned 92.82 percent of votes.
- District 3: Newcomer Joi Mayo captured 73.53 percent of the vote in a three‑way race against Republican James H. Bowers (16.26 percent) and unaffiliated candidate Robin Emmons (10.14 percent).
- District 4: Renee Perkins Johnson won reelection unopposed with 98.08 percent support.
- District 5: Juan Diego (J.D.) Mazuera Arias ran unopposed and received 97.36 percent of votes.
- District 6: Democrat Kimberly Owens flipped a historically Republican seat, defeating Krista Bokhari 16,239 votes (56.45 percent) to 12,494 (43.43 percent).
- District 7: Republican Ed Driggs, the council’s lone GOP member, retained his seat with 83.80 percent of the vote against a field of write‑in candidates.
These results leave the 11‑member council with ten Democrats and one Republican, deepening the party’s advantage.
School Board Turns Fully Blue
Voters filled six seats on the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Board of Education, electing Democrats in every race:
- District 1: Charlitta Hatch won with 15,579 votes (44.83 percent), defeating Republican Bill Fountain and incumbent Melissa Easley.
- District 2: Shamaiye Haynes garnered 14,782 votes (74.52 percent), far ahead of challenger Juan Hall.
- District 3: Incumbent Gregory “Dee” Rankin, essentially unopposed, received 18,647 votes (98.09 percent).
- District 4: Board chair Stephanie Sneed was re‑elected with 14,811 votes (62.72 percent).
- District 5: Cynthia Stone unseated Republican Lisa Cline, taking 22,368 votes (56.80 percent) to Cline’s 16,728 votes (42.48 percent).
- District 6: Anna London prevailed with 12,552 votes (49.85 percent), defeating Justin Shealy and Toni Emehel.
With these victories, Democrats now occupy every seat on the nine‑member school board.
Turnout and What It Means
Out of 811,350 registered voters in Mecklenburg County, 177,735 cast ballots—about 21.91 percent turnout. This marks a noticeable increase over the roughly 15.5 percent turnout in 2023, suggesting the transit‑tax referendum and contested council seats drew more voters. Still, fewer than one in four eligible residents participated, illustrating Charlotte’s persistent “twenty‑percent problem.”
Implications for Charlotte’s Future
The 2025 results consolidate Democratic control over local government and signal strong public support for long‑term infrastructure investment. With the transit tax approved, city and county leaders can proceed on a 30‑year build‑out of rail lines, bus improvements and road upgrades. The nearly one‑party council will likely focus on affordable housing, police oversight, climate resilience and equitable development. The uniform school board, meanwhile, must oversee a $2.5 billion construction program while addressing overcrowding, staffing and achievement gaps.
Republicans’ lone foothold on the council, Ed Driggs, may act as a fiscal hawk and voice of dissent. The success of first‑time candidates Joi Mayo and Kimberly Owens demonstrates that ground games and endorsements still matter in local races. Next on the civic agenda: public hearings on how to allocate transit dollars and the board of education’s decisions on school construction sequencing.
Where to Find More
For in‑depth analyses of these races and the issues behind them, visit The Charlotte Mercury. Our news page, CLT Mercury News, offers weekly reporting that explains policy choices and their impact. Our politics section, CLT Mercury Politics, provides election guides, campaign finance investigations and meeting recaps. Check out our special election hub, Poll Dance 2025, for comprehensive coverage of every contest and referendum in this cycle at Poll Dance 2025.
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© 2025 The Charlotte Mercury / Strolling Ballantyne
This article, “Mecklenburg County’s 2025 Results: Transit Tax Wins, Council Shake‑Ups and a Blue Wave,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY‑ND 4.0.
“Mecklenburg County’s 2025 Results: Transit Tax Wins, Council Shake‑Ups and a Blue Wave”
by Jack Beckett, The Charlotte Mercury (CC BY‑ND 4.0)