September 1, 2025
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Will Russell’s Bet on Growth in District 4

The short of it

Will Russell is a construction manager and vice chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission, who has spent years navigating the complexities of zoning and transit-oriented development. He lost to incumbent Renee Perkins Johnson in 2023, then announced a 2025 rematch with a familiar pitch: build more homes near transit, pick up the litter, make streets safer, and keep Northlake from sliding into a dead mall spiral. He arrives with endorsements from Mayor Vi Lyles and former council members Julie Eiselt and Greg Phipps, as well as attention from real estate political committees that appreciate his growth-friendly posture.

Biography and bona fides

  • Senior construction manager whose portfolio includes projects up to $30 million, with affordable housing work for Laurel Street and Harmon Construction Services.
  • B.S. in Building Construction from Auburn University; Charlotte resident for two decades; lives in Prosperity Village with his family.
  • Civic resume: founder, Prosperity Village Area Association; former board member, Sustain Charlotte; service on the UDO advisory committee and an inclusionary housing group; current appointment to the Planning Commission through 2026, where he serves as vice chair.
    Sources: Campaign bio, Planning Commission roster, Sustain Charlotte testimony.

Platform in plain language

Housing and growth

Russell argues Charlotte has a supply problem that policy can fix. He backs the 2040 Comp Plan’s gentle density and wants more mixed-use near rail, with sidewalks and bike links baked in so people can actually use the system they pay for. He says slowing approvals in District 4 will not reduce displacement; targeted infill and preservation tools will.

Transportation

He supports the proposed 1-cent countywide sales tax for roads, buses, and rail and has pushed for park-and-ride expansion and bike connections into the Blue Line spine serving University City.
Sources: BPC forum roundup, campaign priorities.

Clean and safe public space

He talks about litter pickup, illegal tractor-trailer parking, and better lighting and maintenance in retail corridors, especially Northlake. Civic order via services first, enforcement when needed.
Source: campaign priorities.

Northlake Mall and corridor health

Northlake is both symbol and test case. Russell wants an entertainment-centered reuse with real security and a safer network for getting there without a car.
Source: campaign priorities.

Money, muscle, and who is with him

  • Endorsements: Mayor Vi Lyles, Julie Eiselt, Greg Phipps. That is unusual muscle in a council race and signals establishment comfort with Russell’s approach.
  • Independent help: A 2023 pro-Russell mailer came via Neighbors Helping North Carolina, previously tied to the NC Association of REALTORS. He also kicked in personal funds then.
  • Why it matters: District 4 is where the Comp Plan meets actual cranes. Support from real-estate interests means door money and mail, but it also fuels the critique that he is too aligned with developers.
    Source roundup: WFAE on the endorsement, Observer on mail and donors.

The fault lines

Growth vs. governance

Renee Perkins Johnson beat Russell in 2023 while questioning city hall’s process and pace. She has framed Russell’s coalition as “status quo” and too close to the industry that benefits from up-zoning. Russell counters that he builds affordable units and that “don’t build” is not a housing policy.
Sources: Observer, AOL/Observer Q&A.

The transit tax

Russell is a yes, consistent with a decade of TOD advocacy around University City. The referendum’s fate in Raleigh and the final split among road, bus, and rail will test whether that yes still holds.
Sources: BPC forum recap, Sustain Charlotte remarks.

What to watch between now and Primary Day

  1. Turnout and precinct math. 2023 District 4 turnout was soft. If the tax referendum appears on the ballot and campus groups engage, rail-adjacent precincts could shift the mix.
  2. Independent expenditures. Track any outside spending from real-estate PACs and labor. Growth races in Charlotte rarely stay small-d dollar.
  3. Northlake and corridor safety. Any big incident or specific proposal could swing the narrative from abstract talk to immediate stakes.

Receipts

Mercury notes for voters

  • A vote for Russell is a vote to speed up housing approvals in rail-served areas and to lean into TOD.
  • If you want more process guardrails, Johnson’s line is the contrast.
  • The tax referendum will be the real project-manager here. No transit dollars, no big transit build.

Special coverage

Poll Dance 2025; Join the Dance — our daily scoreboard for candidates, ballots, turnout hacks, and myths that need retiring. Start here: Poll Dance 2025; Join the Dance.

Jack’s coffee-stained sign-off

If this story helped, blame the espresso. If it did not, also the espresso. Ping us on the chaotically useful Twix. For more, rummage around:

Creative Commons License

© 2025 The Charlotte Mercury / Strolling Ballantyne
This article, “Will Russell’s Bet on Growth in District 4,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.

“Will Russell’s Bet on Growth in District 4”
by Jack Beckett, The Charlotte Mercury (CC BY-ND 4.0)