Charlotte City Council 2025 — Districts, Candidates & Cheat-Sheet
Because you’ve got better things to do than spelunk campaign sites all night.
Quick jumps: Home • News • Politics • Special coverage: Poll Dance 2025 — the Mercury’s acerbic, lovingly obsessive guide to the whole circus.
How this page works
- We list each district with the declared candidates we’re tracking today.
- Where possible, we link to Mercury explainers, guides, and district stories so you can go deeper without opening 37 tabs.
- Want the kitchen-sink version? Here’s the complete citywide list: 👉 Full List of Candidates for Mayor, City Council & School Board
Also see the hub explainer: Charlotte 2025 City Council Candidate Guide — District-by-District
District 1 (Central/East — Plaza Midwood, Villa Heights, Belmont)
Coverage: The rematch everyone saw coming.
- Danté Anderson (D, incumbent) — see our District 1 rematch preview: Charlene Henderson vs. Danté Anderson
- Charlene Henderson (D) — same preview as above for side-by-side context
More context: our transit + governance dossiers live inside the District Guide.
District 2 (Historic West End • Uptown Wards)
Coverage: Corridor investments, safety, and growth pains.
- Malcolm Graham (D, incumbent) — Corridor Crusade: Transit, West End Roots, 2025 Stakes
District 3 (West/Southwest — West Blvd, Steele Creek, Airport)
Coverage: The ballot with plot twists.
- Tiawana Brown (D, incumbent) — see district roundup in our Guide
- Montravias King (D) — district roundup in the Guide
- Joi Mayo (D) — district roundup in the Guide
- Warren Turner (D) — district roundup in the Guide
- James H. Bowers (R) — November matchup material; check the Guide for the field picture
Backgrounder: One-Vote Shock at the BPC: What a 46–45 Endorsement Means
District 4 (University City • Blue Line North)
Coverage: Transit nodes, TOD, and infrastructure reality checks.
- Renée Perkins Johnson (D, incumbent) — see the District Guide
- Wil Russell (D) — challenger; Guide has the matchup context
District 5 (East Charlotte — Albemarle/Central Corridors)
Coverage: Eastland Yards, sidewalks, and “yes, rail someday, but buses today.”
- Marjorie Molina (D, incumbent) — District Guide
- Juan Diego “JD” Mazuera Arias (D) — Guide entry for D-5 field
District 6 (South Charlotte — SouthPark & neighbors)
Coverage: The flip-watch seat.
- Kimberly Owens (D) — matchups and calendar in the District Guide
- Krista Bokhari (R) — Guide entry for D-6
- Sary Chakra (R) — Guide entry for D-6
District 7 (Ballantyne • I-485 South)
Coverage: Roads, rezonings, and the “how dense is too dense?” debate.
- Ed Driggs (R, incumbent) — overview and issues in the District Guide
At-Large (Citywide — pick four)
Coverage: Why these seats matter (and why Democrats keep winning them):
- Primer: Why Democrats Routinely Win Charlotte’s At-Large Seats
- Field Overview: At-Large Candidates: Full Field Breakdown
- Candidate list page: Charlotte City Council At-Large Candidates 2025
- Long-read analysis: The At-Large Race
Democrats on the ballot:
Dimple Ajmera • Victoria Watlington • LaWana Slack-Mayfield • James “Smuggie” Mitchell Jr. • Matt Britt • Roderick Davis • J.G. Lockhart • Emerson Stoldt • Namrata (N.Y.) Yadav
Republicans:
Misun Kim • Edwin Peacock III
(Relax—no pop quiz. All the names above are clickable inside the At-Large links.)
Issues you’ll hear about on the stump (and where we’ve decoded them)
- Transit sales tax, roads, and rail:
Start here: Mecklenburg’s One-Cent Transit Tax: What It Does, What It Costs, Who Runs It and the deeper Full Breakdown of Costs, Projects & Control - The Penny that redraws the map: The Penny That Could Redraw Mecklenburg
- Zoning, growth & school capacity: Council Clashes Over Growth, Trust & Traffic
- Watchdogs & transparency: Charlotte’s Watchdog Board Wants Teeth & Time
(If a candidate hand-waves, we did the math so you don’t have to.)
Election fun, but make it useful
- Full 2025 calendar, early vote, endorsements scrum, and weekly roundups live on Poll Dance 2025.
- We rate vibes, not people. (Kidding. We rate both. With charts.)
The Fine Print
What this is: the sensible, slightly salty stuff that keeps our newsroom honest and your blood pressure stable.
Accuracy & Corrections. We publish verified facts and clearly labeled analysis. If we miss a comma, a date, or a plot twist, tell us and we’ll fix it with an on-page note. Receipts welcome.
Independence. Editorial decisions are made by editors, not advertisers. When we publish sponsored content, it’s labeled so loudly your browser can hear it.
Privacy. We’re a privacy-first shop. Fewer trackers, less junk, more journalism. For what we collect (and why), read the policy you actually deserve.
Attribution & Use. Share our work with a link; don’t rewrite us with a thesaurus and call it collaboration. For press requests, logos, or republishing permissions, see the media page.
Tips & Documents. Got records, memos, or a screenshot that explains everything? We read every credible tip. Use the contact page—burner email optional, good judgment required.
Quick Links (aka “show me the paperwork”)
Contact: Tips, corrections, invitations to your public meeting (we’ll bring a notebook) → https://cltmercury.com/contact-us
Privacy Policy: What we collect, what we don’t, and how to complain with style → https://cltmercury.com/privacy-policy/
About Us: Who we are, what we value, and why “local” isn’t a marketing word → https://cltmercury.com/about-us
Terms of Service: House rules so civil even your HOA would blush → https://cltmercury.com/terms-of-service
Media / Ads: Logos, specs, and how to reach actual humans → https://cltmercury.com/media