Brandon Pierce

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Brandon Pierce

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2019

Education

High school

North Meck High School

Bachelor's

University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Personal

Birthplace

New Orleans, La.

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Brandon Pierce (Republican Party) ran for election to the Charlotte City Council to represent District 4 in North Carolina. Pierce lost in the general election on November 5, 2019.

Pierce completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Brandon Pierce was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He graduated from North Meck High School in Charlotte. Pierce earned a bachelor's degree in political science and government from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His career experience includes working as a culture, engagement, and stewardship specialist with Coca Cola Bottling Company Consolidated.

Elections

2019

See also: City elections in Charlotte, North Carolina (2019)

General election

General election for Charlotte City Council District 4

Renee Perkins Johnson defeated Brandon Pierce in the general election for Charlotte City Council District 4 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Renee Perkins Johnson (D)	80.2	9,057
		Brandon Pierce (R)	19.6	2,209
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	26

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,292
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Charlotte City Council District 4

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Charlotte City Council District 4 on September 10, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Renee Perkins Johnson	36.6	2,915
		Charlene Henderson El	21.8	1,735
		Richmond Baker	14.0	1,119
		Charles Robinson	11.7	934
		Sean Thompson	9.2	736
		Gabriel Cartagena	6.7	535

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,974
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Brandon Pierce advanced from the Republican primary for Charlotte City Council District 4.

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Brandon Pierce completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pierce's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Brandon Pierce and I decided to run for Charlotte City Council because I've been involved in the community and in politics for a long time and on both sides of the aisle and the one thing I have realized is, We have a lot of great politicians but not a lot of great policymakers. Policy, not politics is what uplifts our communities. I am a pragmatic problem-solver whose mission is to put the people first, and to put politics aside.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Sustainable Communities
• Safe Communities
• Affordable Communities

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I think our city has a lot of great "Public Figures" but we lack "Public Servants". I hope I can be that servant leader for you and your family.

My philosophy of government is built on three core principles:
1. The Government does not make up or define the people. It is the people who make up and define the government.
2. The Government is never the sole solution, it is a "catalyst" to change. Real solutions are found in individuals.
3. The Government does have a legitimate role in our society. But it's our job as voters to limit that role.

I am passionate about leveraging our existing relationships within the city and truly deepening our utilization of Public-Private partnerships and alternative funding to our city projects.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

I believe that real governance should happen at the city and county level with at most some state direction. I am not a big fan of governing from DC (even when my party is in power). I believe in a smaller local government that can easily adapt to its community and not the opposite way around. That is why this city council office was sought after by me. This is where the real difference happens.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Conservative Heart: How to Build a Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America by Arthur Brooks.

In short, the book really does a great job of explaining how we can use conservatism to serve as a movement of happiness, unity, and social justice for all communities. The book talks about a social justice agenda called the "New Right" which uses family, faith, community and meaningful work (careers) as an optimistic way to fight poverty, promote opportunity and equity and lead to overall fulfilling communities.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to get into office to show what real policy could look like and how that could revolutionalize the disparities in our communities.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was a paid summer internship for Coca Cola at age 15.

I was 15 years old when I started working, and I never stopped working. I am still an employee to this day with Coca Cola. Part of my platform to help solve upward mobility and the violence that is plaguing our city, is working with the private sector to actively employee at entry-level our non-active and our at-risk youth. You are looking at the byproduct of a young boy who was able to escape the violence of his neighborhood while also being able to prepare for a future by entering the workforce as a high schooler.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Conservative Heart by Arthur Brooks. It explains what Real Conservatism looks like.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Doo Wop by Lauryn Hill

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think knowledge is the most important thing that needs to be had for anyone seeking a political office. As it relates to this city council office and previous experience in politics, Yes that's great and I have plenty of it but that should not be the sole focus. In fact per our City charter for Charlotte, the City Council was intentionally set up to be a part-time commitment. The thought was that people would take time away from their careers and serve (true public service). So an IT professional might leave the bank for a term to serve the council and then a dentist might choose to seek that same seat for a term or two to serve and vice versa. It was never intended to be occupied by political insiders and career politicians like we see now. City Council was meant to be a part-time temporary service that members of the community rotated out to serve on.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

The ability to be a catalyst to change but not try to be a "kingmaker" in the role. The problem our city has had dating back to the 60's and that politicians have used this City Council office to literally shape the city the way they see fit and the results have been that Charlotte is a tale of two cities. The next group of leaders we elect for City Council should have the goal of uplifting communities not trying to custom shape neighborhoods.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Pierce's campaign website stated the following:

“	My philosophy of government is built on three core principles: The Government does not make up or define the people. It is the people who make up and define the government. The Government is never the sole solution, it is a "catalyst" to change. Real solutions are found in individuals. The Government does have a legitimate role in our society. But it's our job as voters to limit that role. As your District 4 representative, I promise to address the following. Sustainable Communities Sustainability is not just an eco-friendly buzzword. A sustainable Charlotte is one that secures the elements of opportunity from generation to generation — safe transportation, a clean environment, and jobs. The most important of these is economic opportunity. Our city’s current development boom is not lifting everyone at the same pace. Charlotte is too often a tale of two cities, and it’s time for that story to end. We will: Return the City Council’s focus to getting jobs for people in all parts of town and from all walks of life. Set an example in city government by promoting employment among young people to help them build workforce skills and encourage private sector employers to hire at-risk youth. Recruit businesses and jobs to the Blue Line corridor in District 4. Advocate for more sidewalks and pedestrian-friendly streets across the district. Support private-sector innovation in clean energy and environmental sustainability. This can be done by easing zoning rules or offering tax credits to developers choosing to invest in solar energy or other environmentally friendly options. Set an example in city government by supporting environmental initiatives like the “Innovation Barn” partnership with Envision Charlotte and UNC-Charlotte. Safe Communities By the end of June, Charlotte had already suffered more homicides in 2019 than the entire year prior. Each one represents a family torn apart. Enough is enough. Our community is fed up and ready to take the responsibility to secure our neighborhoods. We need leadership to hold the culprits of the violence within accountable. We will: Create neighborhood leadership coalitions to identify solutions to the specific crime problems each faces. Double the city’s investment in JumpStart Safety Micro-Grant from $500,000 to $1 million per year, with a substantial amount spent in District 4. These grants support community organizations working in conflict resolution, family stabilization, and crime-fighting. Invest in foot patrol officers within neighborhoods to build relationships between the officers and people they serve. Fund additional officer positions, recruiting heavily in diverse and minority communities. Increase police training funding so that every officer can become proficient in de-escalation techniques. Affordable Communities Charlotte families don't dream of making it to low-income apartments. They dream about owning their own home and building wealth. But to date, Charlotte’s best idea for tackling our affordable housing crisis is to put $50 million toward supporting new apartments for our low-income neighbors. There’s simply no way to build our way out of this problem. Real solutions must involve supporting a range of affordable housing options — especially building pathways to homeownership. Our City Council must get out of the way of innovative ideas to do just that. We will: Support innovative affordable housing solutions, from tiny homes to shared equity. Ensure that our zoning ordinances allow for diverse housing options across the city. Expand down payment assistance programs and financial literacy support through a public-private partnership. Explore creation of a public-private land trust to buy land for affordable housing before it gets too expensive.	”
—Brandon Pierce’s campaign website (2019)

See also

2019 Elections

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External links

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