Charlotte mayoral election, 2017

Last updated
Charlotte mayoral election, 2017
Flag of Charlotte, North Carolina.png
  2015 November 7, 2017 2019  

  Vi Lyles meet the mayor (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Vi Lyles Kenny Smith
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote71,87649,555
Percentage59.13%40.77%

Mayor before election

Jennifer Roberts
Democratic

Elected Mayor

Vi Lyles
Democratic

The 2017 Charlotte mayoral election took place on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. Party primary elections were held on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. Second-round primaries would have been held on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, if they had been necessary, but both primary winners received more than the minimum 40 percent of the vote needed to avoid a runoff. [1] The incumbent, Democrat Jennifer Roberts, was eligible to run for a second two-year term. She ran but lost the Democratic nomination in the primary. Two members of the City Council, Democrat Vi Lyles and Republican Kenny Smith, won the primaries and advanced to face each other in the general election. [2] Vi Lyles defeated Kenny Smith in the general election, and became the 59th mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina.

The incumbent is the current holder of an office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent(s). For example, in the Hungarian presidential election, 2017, János Áder was the incumbent, because he had been the president in the term before the term for which the election sought to determine the president. A race without an incumbent is referred to as an open seat.

North Carolina Democratic Party North Carolina affiliate of the national Democratic Party in the United States

The North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) is the North Carolina affiliate of the national Democratic Party in the United States. It is headquartered in the historic Goodwin house, which is located in the downtown area of Raleigh at 220 Hillsborough Street.

Jennifer Roberts (politician) politician

Jennifer Watson Roberts is an American politician, businesswoman and former diplomat who served as the 58th mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. She was elected on November 3, 2015 having previously served four terms on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. In 2012, she was the Democratic nominee for the United States House of Representatives in North Carolina's 9th congressional district.

Contents

Background

Jennifer Roberts, a former Mecklenburg County commissioner, was elected to her first term in 2015 when she defeated Republican Edwin Peacock III, a former Charlotte City Councilman.

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina County in the United States

Mecklenburg County is a county located in the southwestern region of the state of North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,618. It increased to 1,034,070 as of the 2015 estimate, making it the most populous county in North Carolina and the first county in the Carolinas to surpass 1 million in population. Its county seat and largest city is Charlotte.

North Carolina Republican Party

The North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Robin Hayes, a former congressman and state party chairman, was elected Chairman of the party on April 30, 2016.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Joel D. M. Ford is an American politician who has served in the North Carolina Senate from the 38th district since 2013.

Vi Lyles politician

Viola Alexander Lyles is an American politician serving as the 59th and current mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Lyles was a member of the Charlotte City Council before taking office as mayor.

Declined

  • David Howard, former Charlotte City Councilman [3]

Endorsements

Jennifer Roberts
Human Rights Campaign advocacy group

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the largest LGBT civil rights advocacy group and political lobbying organization in the United States. The organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGBT individuals, most notably advocating for marriage equality, anti-discrimination and hate crimes legislation, and HIV/AIDS advocacy. The organization has a number of legislative initiatives as well as supporting resources for LGBT individuals.

Sierra Club environmental organization

The Sierra Club is an environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who became its first president. The Sierra Club primarily operates in the United States; an affiliated organization, Sierra Club Canada, operates in Canada and deals exclusively with Canadian issues.

Joel Ford
  • Charlotte Fire Fighters Association [14]
  • Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition [15]
Vi Lyles
Democracy for America

Democracy for America (DFA) is a progressive political action committee, headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont. Founded by former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean in 2004, DFA leads public awareness campaigns on a variety of public policy issues, trains activists, and provides funding directly to candidates for office. The organization has more than a million members in the United States and internationally.


Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jennifer Roberts (D)Joel Ford (D)Vi Lyles (D)Constance Partee-Johnson (D)OtherUndecided
Lake Research Partners [20] June 1–4, 2017400± 4.9%35%15%21%28%

Results

CandidatesDemocratic Primary Election - Sept. 12 [21]
CandidatePartyVotesPercent
Vi LylesDemocratic15,77346.15%
Jennifer RobertsDemocratic12,37536.21%
Joel FordDemocratic5,45215.95%
Constance Partee (Connie) JohnsonDemocratic3100.91%
Lucille PuckettDemocratic2670.78%

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

  • Kimberley Paige Barnette, [22] former magistrate [23]
    • Barnette garnered controversy in September 2017 when her Facebook page briefly described herself as "Republican $ Smart, White, Traditional." The controversy garnered national attention. [24]
  • Gary M. Dunn, candidate for Democratic nomination in 2013 [22]
  • Kenny Smith, Charlotte City Councilman [25]

Endorsements

Kenny Smith

Results

CandidatesRepublican Primary Election - Sept. 12 [21]
CandidatePartyVotesPercent
Kenny SmithRepublican7,91288.63%
Gary M. DunnRepublican5536.19%
Kimberley Paige BarnetteRepublican4625.18%

General election

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Vi
Lyles (D)
Kenny
Smith (R)
Undecided
SurveyUSA October 18–21, 2017517± 4.4%41%40%19%

Results

CandidatesGeneral Election - Nov. 7 [28]
CandidatePartyVotesPercent
Vi LylesDemocratic71,87659.13%
Kenny SmithRepublican49,55540.77%

Related Research Articles

2008 North Carolina gubernatorial election

The North Carolina gubernatorial election of 2008 was held on November 4, 2008, coinciding with the presidential, U.S. Senate, U.S. House elections, Council of State, and statewide judicial elections. Democrat Bev Perdue won the election.

The office of the Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina is currently held by Democrat Vi Lyles, who took office in December 2017 after defeating Republican Kenny Smith in the November election.

2010 United States Senate election in North Carolina election

The 2010 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 2, 2010. The filing deadline for the primaries was February 26; the primaries were held on May 4, with a Democratic primary runoff held on June 22. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Richard Burr won re-election to a second term. Burr is the first incumbent to win re-election for this seat since Sam Ervin's last re-election in 1968. Burr's 54.8% also represented the highest vote share a North Carolina Republican received since the state began directly electing its Senators.

2009 Charlotte mayoral election

The biennial Charlotte mayoral election was held on November 3, 2009. The seat was open due to the decision by Mayor Pat McCrory, a Republican, not to seek re-election. Democrat Anthony Foxx, a member of the City Council, won the election by a slim margin, becoming the first Democrat elected to lead the city since Harvey Gantt was re-elected in 1985.

2014 United States Senate election in North Carolina election in North Carolina, 2014

The 2014 United States Senate election in North Carolina took place on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of North Carolina, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. On May 6, 2014, the primary took place.

2013 Charlotte mayoral election

The biennial Charlotte mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. Primary elections were held on Tuesday, September 10, 2013. Unaffiliated voters were allowed to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary.

Michael Barnes was the mayor pro tempore of Charlotte, North Carolina. He also served as acting mayor for a short time following the resignation of former mayor Patrick Cannon, who was arrested on March 26, 2014 for corruption charges. Barnes immediately became acting mayor upon Cannon's resignation. The City Council was then required to appoint a mayor to serve out the remainder of Cannon's term. On April 7, the council voted to appoint Dan Clodfelter, a state senator, as the new mayor.

The 2015 Charlotte mayoral election took place on November 3, 2015, to elect the Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. Mayoral elections in Charlotte are biennial, with the winner being sworn-in in December.

2017 New York City mayoral election

An election for Mayor of New York City was held on November 7, 2017. Incumbent Democrat Bill de Blasio won reelection to a second term with 66.5% of the vote against Republican Nicole Malliotakis.

The 2020 United States Senate election in North Carolina will be held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of North Carolina, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

2018 Arizona gubernatorial election

The 2018 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor of Arizona, concurrently with the election of Arizona's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

2017 Cleveland mayoral election

The 2017 Cleveland mayoral election took place on November 7, 2017, to elect the Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. The election was officially nonpartisan, with the top two candidates from the September 12 primary election advancing to the general election, regardless of party. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Frank G. Jackson won reelection to a fourth term.

2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the nine U.S. Representatives from the state of Arizona, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2018 Arizona gubernatorial election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The 2018 general elections saw the Democratic party gain the 2nd Congressional district, thus flipping the state from a 5–4 Republican advantage to a 5–4 Democratic advantage, the first time since the 2012 election in which Democrats held more House seats in Arizona than the Republicans.

2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the 12 U.S. Representatives from the state of New Jersey, one from each of the state's 12 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. Democrats won 4 seats from Republicans and changed control from 7–5 for Democrats to 11–1 for Democrats, the lowest number of seats Republicans have won in the state since 1912.

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina were held on November 6, 2018, electing the thirteen U.S. Representatives from the State of North Carolina, one from each of the state's congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, as well as elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.

2017 San Antonio mayoral election

On May 6, 2017, the city of San Antonio, Texas held an election to choose the next mayor of San Antonio. As no candidate secured a majority of the vote, a runoff was held on June 10, 2017 with Councilman Ron Nirenberg defeating incumbent mayor Ivy Taylor.

2018–2019 Phoenix mayoral special election

The Phoenix mayoral special election, 2018–2019 will take place to elect the Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona. The election is officially nonpartisan; candidates will run on the same ballot. In the initial round of the election, since no candidate reached 50 percent plus one vote, a runoff election will be held between the top two finishers.

A special election will be held in 2019 to fill the vacancy in North Carolina's 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for the remainder of the 116th United States Congress. The seat has been vacant since the opening of the 116th Congress, following the refusal of the North Carolina State Board of Elections to certify the results of the November 2018 election in the district due to allegations of electoral fraud.

References

  1. "Multi Year Election Schedule". Mecklenburg County Government. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  2. Charlotte Observer: Vi Lyles stuns Roberts, faces Kenny Smith for Charlotte mayor
  3. 1 2 3 Spanberg, Erik (November 30, 2016). "Thought election season was over in Charlotte? Mayor's race getting an early start". Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  4. Boyd, Paul (February 3, 2017). "Councilman Smith leads way with most money in mayoral race". WSOC-TV. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  5. Harrison, Steve (June 20, 2017). "In mayoral debate, Jennifer Roberts and Vi Lyles play nice". The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  6. http://apps.meckboe.org/CandidatePrint.aspx
  7. Harrison, Steve (August 23, 2017). "LGBT groups make their picks for Charlotte mayor, council". The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  8. http://www.meckpac.org/endorsements/2017-charlotte-mayoral-city-council-endorsements/
  9. http://equalitync.org/latest/news/turnoutCLT/
  10. http://us14.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d11fd3f059107c746d4deb4a3&id=718e797b42
  11. http://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/central-piedmont-group/2017%20Charlotte%20Mayor%20Endorsement.pdf
  12. https://splabor.org/news/september-primary-endorsements-announced
  13. https://www.jenniferrobertsformayor.com/endorsements
  14. https://joelfordformayor.com/2017/08/29/charlotte-firefighters-endorse-joel-ford-for-mayor/
  15. https://rebiccharlotte.com/2017/08/08/rebic-announces-endorsements-for-charlotte-city-council-primary/
  16. Morrill, Jim (May 22, 2017). "Black Political Caucus has endorsed a mayoral candidate. How will it shape the primary?". The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  17. http://www.democracyforamerica.com/our_candidates#NC
  18. Charlotte Post Editorial Board (August 31, 2017). "The Post endorses Vi Lyles in Democratic mayoral primary Experience and leadership earns support". The Charlotte Post . Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  19. Charlotte Observer Editorial Board (August 23, 2017). "Who we like in the Charlotte mayor's race, and why". The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  20. White, Herbert (June 20, 2017). "Poll: Mayor Roberts leads Lyles and Ford in Democratic campaign". The Charlotte Post . Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  21. 1 2 NC State Board of Elections Sept. 12 Primary Results
  22. 1 2 NC State Board of Elections: Candidate filings
  23. LinkedIn
  24. Savransky, Rebecca (2017-09-06). "Candidate for Charlotte mayor puts 'white' among qualifications". TheHill. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  25. Harrison, Steve (March 9, 2017). "Kenny Smith formally announces mayoral bid with swipes at Mayor Roberts". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  26. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article175865761.html/
  27. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/editorials/article172619896.html
  28. http://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/07/2017&county_id=60&office=ALL&contest=0