Fresh, New Faces Roll to Victory in Charlotte City Council Elections

CHARLOTTE, NC – Mayor-elect Vi Lyles will take office alongside several fresh, new faces on city council. Voters elected a younger, more diverse group to lead the city.

“For a city that has as many young folks as it does, I think it’s valuable to add that generational perspective that we’ll be bringing,” says newly elected District 1 councilman Larken Egleston.

Egleston is excited about what Charlotte’s next generation of city leaders could accomplish.

“I think diversity of every type is valuable in terms of trying to get the best outcomes, get to the best decision making,” he says.

Democrats swept the at-large council race, including winners like 31-year-old Dimple Ajmera, who plans to continue her efforts on redevelopment, like at the old Eastland Mall site.

“I want to continue to implement that model throughout the city and bring opportunities in every corner of our city,” Ajmera says.

She feels Mayor-elect Vi Lyles’ more than 30 years working with the city will be a good fit with new faces on council.

“You’re talking about leadership that brings in a lot of experience but at the same time you’ve got fresh perspective,” Ajmera says.

UNC Charlotte Political Science professor Eric Heberlig says while there’s always a learning curve, he thinks council and the new mayor have gotten to know each other better during the election process.

Newcomer Braxton Winston agrees.

“Doing this work for the city in a team aspect.. knowing that we each as individuals have to be the best at what we do,” Winston says.

Once the face of protests after the Keith Scott shooting, Winston says he plans to focus on economic mobility.

“You have to develop neighborhoods that have different types of housing and jobs nearby,” he says.