Montravias King opens City Council District 3 campaign

MONTRAVIAS KING

Montravias King, who won a seat on Elizabeth City's council at 22 years old in 2013, is campaigning for the Charlotte City Council District 3 seat held by Tiawana Brown.

Montravias King, who shook the political landscape by winning a seat on Elizabeth City’s council as a college student, has his sights on Charlotte.

King, an environmental advocate and former teacher, is campaigning to replace District 3 incumbent Tiawana Brown, a Democrat who is under federal indictment for wire fraud. Brown has pleaded not guilty.
Municipal elections are in November.

“I would describe Charlotte as my adopted home,” King, 34, said. “There are so many unique opportunities here, and I've been able to connect with so many people of all different demographics, of all different income levels. People come here because they want a better quality of life. People come to Charlotte because they see our city as a beacon of hope.”

As a senior at Elizabeth City State University in 2013, he ran for a council seat. Republicans challenged, questioning whether college students could hold elected office by using their campus address. The state Board of Elections unanimously upheld King’s appeal, and he went on to win the seat at 22 years old. He served one term before stepping aside for a new job.

“That was when I realized it was more than just about me,” he said. “The fight to get on the ballot, that fight was not just for me. That fight was to assure that college students across the state of North Carolina; college students across the United States, for that matter, would be able to not only vote, but to also be able to run for office.”

King, who, was born and raised in Snow Hill, a small town in eastern North Carolina, counts U.S. Rep. Don Davis, state Sen. Sydney Batch, who leads that chamber’s Democrats and state Rep. Natalie Murdock as political mentors. 

“I worked for two powerhouse, highly influential Black women,” King said. “They taught me a lot.”  

King maintains Charlotte’s cost of living has made the city increasingly expensive, especially for seniors and low-income workers. He’s campaigning for growth equity and sustainability. 

“Charlotte is now at a crossroads and the city has become extremely unaffordable, and a lot of people have to choose between everyday necessities: whether or not to pay the rent or their car payment,” he said.

“We're better than that. And unfortunately, with all the development and with all the economic opportunities in this city, people are struggling.” 

In addition to Brown’s legal issues, council is struggling with internal strife. At-large representative Victoria Watlington, a Democrat, alleged corruption without evidence, and state Auditor Dave Boliek ordered an investigation into a settlement to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Johnny Jennings after former District 6 representative Tariq Bokhari, a Republican, threatened to have him fired and ruin his reputation. 

“A lot of people right now are disappointed,” King said. “The people deserve accountability. They deserve transparency, and they deserve to be able to have access to their elected officials and know that when they make decisions, they make them with integrity. …

“If our elected officials are caught up in this divisiveness, it’s going to impact their ability to perform the full scope of their role. We have to go back to the business of the city before we miss out on opportunities to impact people’s quality of life.”

King said District 3, which includes southwest Charlotte, has growth potential with Charlotte-Douglas International Airport as well as historic neighborhoods like Steele Creek and West Boulevard, and the variety of public schools. Transportation and mobility, with an emphasis on equity and sustainability, are priorities. 

“We’ve known for decades now that, as the city continues to grow, so will the airport,” he said. “And there needs to be some serious planning to take place in regard to the future of the communities in the vicinity.

Those conversations have not taken place, and I’m not saying it’s because these communities are predominantly communities of color, but let’s be real with ourselves. There has not been a sense of urgency in addressing the impacts on Black and brown communities.” 

King favors health and environmental impact reports from the airport as well as resources to help people who want to relocate from the corridor, where its proximity to freeways is linked to adverse health impacts in nearby neighborhoods. 

“We need to get to the point to where that we are engaging these communities on this issue, so they understand the seriousness, and so that they’ll be able to make some choices,” he said. 
King said he has studied the 2040 Plan to better understand the city’s plans for public transit and believes Lynx rail connectivity, especially in southwest Charlotte, should be prioritized over the Red Line, which would connect the urban core to south Iredell County. 

“Moderate- to low-income Black and brown communities were not built with connectivity in mind,” he said. … “I know so many residents live in District 3, but they may work in District 6 or District 7. So how do we envision or reimagine our zoning in such a way that people that work in one area of the city and live in another are able to get there in an efficient manner?”

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