Charlotte has a new city council, bringing a couple of new faces to city hall. Mayor Vi Lyles won re-election by a wide margin over her Republican challenger.

It was a good night for incumbents on the Charlotte City Council, with every council member who ran for re-election getting voted in for another term.

The most contentious race has been in south Charlotte’s District 6, with Democrat Stephanie Hand campaigning against incumbent Republican Tariq Bokhari. But Bokhari managed to hold onto his seat, winning with about 51% of the vote.

Get full election results here

The race has attracted big money, at least for a city council seat. Bokhari has raised about $65,000, and Hand’s campaign brought in more than $40,000, campaign finance filings show. The mayor’s campaign also contributed $2,500 to Hand’s efforts to unseat Bokhari.

Turnout in Tuesday's municipal elections was about 12% of registered voters in Charlotte.  

The election date was postponed last year because of COVID-related delays getting new census numbers. The city is required to use new population data to draw new city council districts every 10 years.

Charlotte is one of a handful of cities in North Carolina electing their next mayors and city councils Tuesday. Greensboro and Fayetteville also elected their next municipal leaders.

The new Charlotte City Council will be sworn in for the next term on Sept. 6.

Here is who won the July 26 Charlotte’s municipal elections:

Mayor

  • Vi Alexander Lyles (D) - incumbent - winner
  • Stephanie de Sarachaga-Bilbao (R)

At-large

  • Dimple Ajmera (D) - incumbent - winner
  • Braxton David Winston II (D) - incumbent - winner
  • LaWana Slack-Mayfield (D) - winner
  • James (Smuggie) Mitchell (D) - winner
  • Kyle J. Luebke (R)
  • David Merrill (R)
  • James (Smuggie) Mitchell (D)
  • Charlie Mulligan (R)
  • Carrie Olinski (R)

District 1

  • Dante Anderson (D) - unopposed - winner

District 2

  • Malcolm Graham (D) - incumbent - winner
  • Mary Lineberger Barnett (R)

District 3

  • Victoria Watlington (D) - incumbent - winner
  • James H. Bowers (R)

District 4

  • Renee Perkins Johnson (D) - incumbent running unopposed - winner

District 5

  • Marjorie Molina (D) - unopposed - winner

District 6

  • Tariq Scott Bokhari (R) - incumbent - winner
  • Stephanie Hand (D)

District 7

  • Ed Driggs (R) - incumbent running unopposed - winner