Oct. 14, 2025

This morning’s Forum attracted four of six at-large candidates for Charlotte City Council. Dimple Ajmera and Edwin Peacock were not present.There were three Democrats – LaWana Mayfield, James Mitchell and Victoria Watlington – and a Republican, Misun Kim, who in addressing the Forum did not identify herself as a Republican but as a “bi-partisan” candidate.All four have been endorsed by their respective county political parties.

A now-familiar question to candidates this cycle has been: What issues keep you awake at night? This issues were:

• Kim: Maintaining a safe water supply amid government cutbacks.
• Watlington: The collapse of nonprofit funding that shores up human and communiity services in the city; and gerrymandering that will lead to voter suppression.
• Mayfield: Current cutbacks to nonprofits; and how to intervene on behalf of residents who have received housing subsidies but now may lose them.
• Mitchell: Maintaining a safe and thriving airport; shoriing up the nonprofit sector; and what he termed an ongoing attack on miniority businesses,

A special treat is tucked in the candidates’ concluding statements at the end of the presentation.

Candidate and Council incumbent James Mitchell handed out a 13-page city document called “Mobility for Transit and Transportation.” The pages are below. They may be downloaded as a PDF here.

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Research and writing on subjects discussed at today’s Forum may be published in the Dispatches column. Authors are unpaid and must agree to include their name. The material is subject to editing for clarity and civility. Submit text or attachments by e-mail.