No surprise as Vi Lyles files for a fifth mayoral term

CITY OF CHARLOTTE

Mayor Vi Lyles is filing for another two-year term as Charlotte's highest-ranking municipal leader.

Mayor Vi Lyles is running for a fifth term and City Council’s District 5 will have a competitive campaign.

Lyles, who filed on July 16, is touting her leadership through new growth as well as investments in affordable housing, infrastructure, and job creation. 

Filing ends on July 18. 

“Charlotte is a city of opportunity, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made,” Lyles said in a statement. “From expanding affordable housing to improving public safety and investing in our infrastructure, we are delivering real results. But there is still work to do—and I’m ready to keep doing it.” 

Elected to her first two-year term in 2017, Lyles touted an administration of growth and equity, including $150 million in affordable housing initiatives, $250 million Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative, a public-private partnership to build economic opportunity and social justice in underinvested communities and public transit improvements.

“I believe in the people of Charlotte—our resilience, our spirit, and our potential,” Lyles said. “I’m running for re-election because I know we can keep moving Charlotte forward—together.”

On City Council, at-large representative Dimple Ajmera is also seeking a fifth term while in District 5, a longtime east Charlotte resident is in the mix.

Ajmera, who filed on July 11, was first appointed to council as District 5 representative in 2017.

“It's not what we say—but what we do—that truly matters,” Ajmera said in a statement. “I've always voted my values, led with principle, and put community first. I’m running again to continue building a
safer, more sustainable, and more equitable Charlotte for every neighbor in every ZIP code.”

Ajmera, who chairs the Budget Committee, led bipartisan approval of Charlotte’s $3.6 billion fiscal year 2026 budget, which included pay raises for police, fire, and city workers without raising taxes. She also opposed $650 million in Bank of America Stadium upgrades, citing a lack of transparency and public engagement.

“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together, from investing in safer neighborhoods to expanding affordable housing and sustainable infrastructure,” she said. 

Juan Diego “J.D.” Mazuera Arias will officially file for the District 5 seat on July 17 – his birthday. Marjorie Molina is the incumbent.

Mazuera Arias’ resume includes public policy fellow at the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that convenes diverse voices to address societal challenges through programs, leadership initiatives, and public events, legislative fellow in the office of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and collaborating with U.S. Rep. Alma Adams to secure funding for historically Black colleges and universities.

Since returning to Charlotte, Mazuera Arias, a graduate of East Mecklenburg High School, Queens University of Charlotte and NYU Wagner is chair of the Hispanic Democratic Caucus of Mecklenburg County and founder of the North Carolina Latino Political Caucus.

“This movement was born at kitchen tables, coffee shops, and living rooms,” Mazuera Arias said. “It’s fueled by the belief that East Charlotte deserves more than crumbs, we deserve a seat at the table.”

This article has been corrected to reflect Dimple Ajmera is an at-large representative.

Comments