Five Wild Days in Queen City Politics
I blinked Monday, and Charlotte had already yanked Mi Cabana’s liquor permits after 28 police calls and a homicide WSOC report. By Wednesday, Raleigh had overruled the governor on a Duke Energy billing bill so aggressive that it should come with seatbelts. Buckle up—here’s the play‑by‑play.
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Mi Cabana: 28 Calls, Zero Tolerance
CMPD quit entering the Eastway nightclub without backup after officers catalogued assaults with pipes and one April murder. The ABC Commission finally said “adiós,” suspending every pour privilege. Council’s public‑safety crew now eyes a stricter nuisance‑property ordinance for August.
Ballot Musical Chairs in Matthews & Huntersville
Tuesday morning: ex‑Elmira mayor John Tonello bowed out of the Matthews board race citing family grief. By lunch, incumbent Huntersville commissioner Alisia Bergsman followed, writing she refused to let politics make her family “collateral damage” WSOC. Paperwork clears their names before ballots print Thursday.
Quiet Power: Mayor Vi Lyles Stays Cool
Michael Graff’s take in The Assembly calls Lyles “the velvet hammer” who shepherded MLS, a med‑school, and now Raleigh‑blessed transit clout Quiet Power. Critics say her hush‑hush style dulls transparency, but polls still place challengers in single digits.
Transit Tax Heads to Voters
Thanks to July’s P.A.V.E. Act, Mecklenburg can pitch voters a one‑cent sales tax worth $19.4 billion over 30 years—60 % for buses and rails, 40 % for roads Sustain Charlotte. Commissioners schedule the referendum vote in September. Former mayor Anthony Foxx calls it Charlotte’s “first real shot at 21st‑century mobility.”
Cooper Cannonballs the Senate Pool
Monday, former governor Roy Cooper dropped a 97‑second video and dove into the 2026 U.S. Senate race. Democrat Wiley Nickel jumped out within a day US News, endorsing Cooper. GOP chair Michael Whatley is circling, and Rep. Pat Harrigan retreated to his House seat. Tillis retires; the cash tsunami starts now.
Raleigh’s Veto‑Override Marathon
Lawmakers overrode Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of SB 266, letting Duke Energy bill us for unfinished plants. Senate flew it through 30‑18; House hit 74‑46. Thirteen more vetoes—guns, charter cash, even drag‑show permits—queue for override votes today WUNC tracker. Stein says Medicaid expansion funds dangle in limbo.
City Hall’s Leak Drama
Council member Victoria Watlington still spurns Interim City Attorney Anthony Fox’s internal probe into Chief Johnny Jennings’s $305k severance leak WFAE. She wants an outside investigator; a closed session looms Aug 5.
What I’m Watching
- Today: House debates concealed‑carry expansion and charter‑school funding overrides.
- Thursday noon: Municipal filing window slams shut—watch for dark‑horse candidates.
- Aug 5: Council leak probe showdown.
- Aug 12: Q2 Senate fund‑raising—Cooper’s first haul vs. GOP war chest.
Poll Dance 2025—Join the Dance
Election junkie? Bookmark Poll Dance 2025 for daily scorecards, candidate playlists, and the inevitable memes when someone forgets how to mute Zoom.
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About the Author
I’m Jack Beckett—usually found at 6 a.m. nursing a triple‑shot dark roast while doom‑scrolling committee calendars. Catch my latest on cltmercury.com or ping me on X (Twitter, Twix, whatever) at @QueenCityExp. Send espresso beans, not press releases. ☕️
Creative Commons License
© 2025 Strolling Ballantyne / The Charlotte Mercury
This article, “Five Wild Days in Queen City Politics,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
“Five Wild Days in Queen City Politics”
by Jack Beckett, The Charlotte Mercury (CC BY-ND 4.0)
