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Mayoral election in Charlotte, North Carolina (2025)

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← 2023
2025 Charlotte elections
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Election dates
Filing deadline: July 18, 2025
Primary election: September 9, 2025
Primary runoff: October 7, 2025 (canceled)
General election: November 4, 2025
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor
Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections)
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2025

The city of Charlotte, North Carolina, held a general election for mayor on November 4, 2025. A primary was scheduled for September 9, 2025. A primary runoff was scheduled for October 7, 2025, but was not needed. The filing deadline for this election was July 18, 2025.

As of 2025, Charlotte does not have term limits for the position of mayor. Mayors serve two year terms.


Elections

Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.

Candidates and results

General election

General election for Mayor of Charlotte

Incumbent Vi Alexander Lyles defeated Terrie Donovan and Rob Yates in the general election for Mayor of Charlotte on November 4, 2025.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Vi Alexander Lyles
Vi Alexander Lyles (D)
 
70.5
 
90,899
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Submit photo
Terrie Donovan (R) Candidate Connection
 
25.9
 
33,321
Image of Rob Yates
Rob Yates (L)
 
3.6
 
4,632

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source

Total votes: 128,852
Candidate Connection = 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Mayor of Charlotte

Incumbent Vi Alexander Lyles defeated Brendan K. Maginnis, Jaraun Boyd, Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel, and Delter Guin in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Charlotte on September 9, 2025.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Vi Alexander Lyles
Vi Alexander Lyles
 
70.7
 
27,592
Image of Brendan K. Maginnis
Brendan K. Maginnis Candidate Connection
 
12.2
 
4,751
Image of Jaraun Boyd
Jaraun Boyd
 
10.1
 
3,922
Image of Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel
Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel Candidate Connection
 
4.2
 
1,635
Image of Delter Guin
Delter Guin
 
2.8
 
1,107

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 39,007
Candidate Connection = 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. Terrie Donovan advanced from the Republican primary for Mayor of Charlotte.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Rob Yates advanced from the Libertarian primary for Mayor of Charlotte.

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: North Carolina elections, 2025

What's on your ballot?
Click here to find out!

September 9, 2025
November 4, 2025

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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.

Expand all | Collapse all

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Terrie Donovan (R)

Everyone deserves to feel safe In their neighborhood and right now they do not.

Responsible Growth, we must manage growth while protecting infrastructure and affordability.

Charlotte needs honest, accountable leadership that listens.
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Terrie Donovan (R)

I’m passionate about public safety, infrastructure investment, and common sense solutions…the foundation of a thriving city!
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Terrie Donovan (R)

The list is long but at the top is my Mother. She was the most generous and giving person I’ve ever known!
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Terrie Donovan (R)

Integrity, accountability, and a commitment to listening to the community. Bringing the correct people to the table to collaborate and find real solutions!
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Terrie Donovan (R)

To keep our city safe, ensure efficient city services and make decisions that balance both growth with the needs of families and businesses.
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Terrie Donovan (R)

I would like to be remembered for making a positive impact on my city and to be known for a person who unites all people. I believe we all want the same things…to be happy, healthy and loved!
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Terrie Donovan (R)

There were many but the day that I will never forget is 9/11. I was in my early thirties & I will never forget that day and how it changed our world!
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Terrie Donovan (R)

Babysitting in my early teens & I worked Part Time at KFC when I turned 16. I remember being very excited that I could drive to work. I still kept babysitting when time allowed.
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Terrie Donovan (R)

Grief, I lost my Father at a very young age & recently lost my Mother. With both parents gone, I miss them terribly but I firmly believe your friends become family!!
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Terrie Donovan (R)

Being Mayor means being a servant leader who listens first, sets a clear vision, and unites people around common goals. Leadership is not about politics or personal ambition, it’s about bringing accountability, balance and common sense solutions to the challenges our city faces.
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Terrie Donovan (R)

The mayor should always keep the best interest of the citizens at the forefront of every decision. As Mayor, I will always advocate for what is best to move the city of Charlotte forward and to focus on unity not division!
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Terrie Donovan (R)

The Mayor and city council should work as partners, not opponents. While the mayor provides leadership, we need to make sure ideas are data driven and take a common sense approach, the city council members bring community voices to the table. The ideal relationship is built on respect, collaboration, and a shared commitment to solutions over party partisanship.
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Terrie Donovan (R)

I love Charlotte’s people- hardworking, diverse, and committed to building a better future! Charlotte is a city with small town values and big city opportunities. From vibrant neighborhoods to our business community, Charlotte has a spirit of resilience and innovation that makes it special.
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Terrie Donovan (R)

Charlotte’s greatest challenges are rising crime, rapid growth without matching infrastructure, and the lack of affordable housing. Too many families are being priced out, our roads are congested, and public safety concerns are rising. We must address these challenges with common-sense solutions that protect neighborhoods, strengthen our economy, and ensure growth benefits everyone.
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Terrie Donovan (R)

The ideal relationship is one of mutual respect and partnership. The city should work closely with the state to secure resources, coordinate infrastructure, and address public safety and economic development.
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Terrie Donovan (R)

The ideal relationship is a partnership where Charlotte has a strong voice in Washington and receives the resources it needs without unnecessary red tape. I believe it’s always beneficial to maintain a healthy working relationship.
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Terrie Donovan (R)

The Mayor’s office and law enforcement should have a relationship built on trust, respect, and accountability. Law enforcement must know that city leadership has their back with the resources, to help them fulfill their staffing needs, and allow them to recruit and retain the best candidates.
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Terrie Donovan (R)

Veterans for America First
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Terrie Donovan (R)

I sat behind Logan Federico’s Father, Stephen Federico at a hearing on violent crime recently. I will never forget hearing his story. Logan should still be here today! We cannot have career criminals walking our streets!!
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Terrie Donovan (R)

Completing a triathlon, it was a while ago but nonetheless I completed it!


Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Terrie Donovan

Silhouette Placeholder Image.png Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!

Website

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I’m Terrie Donovan, a business professional, veteran advocate, and community leader running for Mayor of Charlotte. With experience in business relations, real estate, and veteran affairs, I know how to connect people with real solutions that strengthen our city."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Everyone deserves to feel safe In their neighborhood and right now they do not.

Responsible Growth, we must manage growth while protecting infrastructure and affordability.

Charlotte needs honest, accountable leadership that listens.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Charlotte in 2025.

Mayoral partisanship

Charlotte has a Democratic mayor. As of December 2025, 67 mayors in the largest 100 cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 22 are affiliated with the Republican Party, one is affiliated with the Libertarian Party, three are independents, five identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and two mayors' affiliations are unknown. Click here for a list of the 100 largest cities' mayors and their partisan affiliations.

Mayoral elections are officially nonpartisan in most of the nation's largest cities. However, many officeholders are affiliated with political parties. Ballotpedia uses one or more of the following sources to identify each officeholder's partisan affiliation: (1) direct communication from the officeholder, (2) current or previous candidacy for partisan office, or (3) identification of partisan affiliation by multiple media outlets.

Help inform our readers

Take our candidate survey

See also: Survey

At Ballotpedia, we believe that everyone deserves meaningful, reliable, trustworthy information about their candidates. We also know that good information—especially at the local level—is hard to find. That's why Ballotpedia created Candidate Connection.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Our survey helps voters better understand how their candidates think about the world and how they intend to govern—information they need to feel confident they're picking the best person for the role.

If you are a candidate, take our survey here. Or you can ask a candidate to take the survey by sharing the link with them.

Submit endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

Endorsements can be particularly helpful for voters trying to decide between candidates in local races, which often feature nonpartisan candidates. Endorsements from individuals and organizations can help voters better understand policy differences between candidates in these cases where little or no other news coverage of policy stances exists.

Candidates, share endorsements here. Readers, share endorsements you know about here.

About the city

See also: Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is a city located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. As of 2020, its population was 874,579.

City government

See also: Council-manager government

Since 1929, the city of Charlotte has utilized a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[1]

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte North Carolina
Population 874,579 10,439,388
Land area (sq mi) 309 48,623
Race and ethnicity**
White 46.7% 67.6%
Black/African American 35.5% 21.4%
Asian 6.6% 3%
Native American 0.4% 1.2%
Pacific Islander 0% 0.1%
Other (single race) N/A 3.2%
Multiple 4.1% 3.6%
Hispanic/Latino 14.6% 9.5%
Education
High school graduation rate 89.4% 88.5%
College graduation rate 44.8% 32%
Income
Median household income $65,359 $56,642
Persons below poverty level 11.9% 14%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

See also

Charlotte, North Carolina North Carolina Municipal government Other local coverage
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ City of Charlotte, "Government at a Glace," accessed August 26, 2014
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