# 2017 Charlotte mayoral election

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vte :
The 2017 Charlotte mayoral election took place on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. Party primary elections were held on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. Second-round primaries would have been held on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, if they had been necessary, but both primary winners received more than the minimum 40 percent of the vote needed to avoid a runoff. The incumbent, Democrat Jennifer Roberts, was eligible to run for a second two-year term. She ran but lost the Democratic nomination in the primary. Two members of the City Council, Democrat Vi Lyles and Republican Kenny Smith, won the primaries and advanced to face each other in the general election. Vi Lyles defeated Kenny Smith in the general election, and became the 59th mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina.

## Background

Jennifer Roberts, a former Mecklenburg County commissioner, was elected to her first term in 2015 when she defeated Republican Edwin Peacock III, a former Charlotte City Councilman.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Jennifer Roberts, incumbent
* Joel Ford, North Carolina State Senator
* Vi Lyles, Charlotte City Councilwoman
* Constance Partee-Johnson
* Lucille Puckett

#### Declined

* David Howard, former Charlotte City Councilman

### Endorsements

* Human Rights Campaign
* MeckPAC
* Equality NC
* New South Progressives
* Sierra Club
* Southern Piedmont Central Labor Council
* Unite Here Local 23 North Carolina Chapter
* Charlotte Fire Fighters Association
* Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition
* Black Political Caucus
* Democracy for America
* The Charlotte Post
* The Charlotte Observer

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jennifer Roberts (D) | Joel Ford (D) | Vi Lyles (D) | Constance Partee-Johnson (D) | Other | Undecided |
| Lake Research Partners | June 1–4, 2017 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 35% | 15% | 21% | – | – | 28% |

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Vi Lyles | 15,805 | 46.13% |
| | Democratic | Jennifer Roberts (incumbent) | 12,412 | 36.23% |
| | Democratic | Joel Ford | 5,466 | 15.95% |
| | Democratic | Constance Partee-Johnson | 311 | 0.91% |
| | Democratic | Lucille Puckett | 268 | 0.78% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 34,262 | 100.0% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Kimberley Paige Barnette, former magistrate
** Barnette garnered controversy in September 2017 when her Facebook page briefly described herself as "Republican $ Smart, White, Traditional." The controversy garnered national attention.
* Gary M. Dunn, candidate for Democratic nomination in 2013
* Kenny Smith, Charlotte City Councilman

### Endorsements

* Fraternal Order of Police
* The Charlotte Observer

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Kenny Smith | 7,912 | 88.63% |
| | Republican | Gary M. Dunn | 553 | 6.19% |
| | Republican | Kimberley Paige Barnette | 462 | 5.18% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,927 | 100.0% |

## General election
### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Vi Lyles (D) | Kenny Smith (R) | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | October 18–21, 2017 | 517 | ± 4.4% | 41% | 40% | 19% |

### Results

2017 Charlotte mayoral election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Vi Lyles | 72,073 | 59.15% |
| | Republican | Kenny Smith | 49,652 | 40.75% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 132 | 0.11% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 121,857 | 100.0% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |