a day ago
Indicted Charlotte councilwoman Tiawana Brown picks up 2 challengers in election
Tiawana Brown, a Charlotte City Council member indicted on wire fraud charges, will face at least two challengers with political experience if she runs for reelection this year.
The first-term Democrat was indicted alongside her two adult daughters in May on charges of wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud. They're accused by Charlotte's U.S. attorney of filing false applications for federal pandemic relief loans and spending loan money on personal expenses, including a lavish birthday party for Brown. The crimes allegedly occurred before Brown joined the council.
All three pleaded not guilty in their first court appearance.
Brown, who represents west Charlotte's District 3, has pledged to stay in office and run for reelection. She's eligible to run 'until convicted of a felony,' Mecklenburg County Board of Elections spokeswoman Kristin Mavromatis previously told The Charlotte Observer. An indictment is not proof of guilt, and Brown has not yet received a trial.
But weeks before candidate filing officially opens, a pair of notable candidates have already declared their intentions to run: former Elizabeth City Councilman Montravias King and community activist Joi Mayo.
Charlotte's primaries are scheduled for Sept. 9. In the heavily Democratic District 3, the winner of that primary will carry a significant advantage into November's general election.
Mayo confirmed to the Observer she will run in the Democratic primary for District 3. She's also launched a campaign website and social media.
While it will be her first time campaigning for public office, she's been an active organizer in southwest Charlotte for years.
A Virginia native, Mayo moved to Charlotte in 2012 for a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teaching job after earning degrees from Elon University and the College of Charleston. She became a homeowners association president in the Nations Ford area and was elected president of the Southwest Area Neighborhood Coalition in 2019.
Mayo left teaching in 2022 to work full-time for nonprofits. She founded Transforming Nations Ford in 2024 to work on neighborhood beautification and historic preservation. The group also advocates for responsible growth and investments in parks and recreation, transit and public safety.
Her platform includes supporting public safety initiatives such as SAFE Charlotte and Alternatives to Violence; increasing permanent affordable housing; and funding workforce development.
Despite the high-profile nature of Brown's indictment, Mayo said the news was 'not necessarily' the driving force behind her decision to run for the District 3 seat. She was mainly spurred, she said, by a desire to increase community engagement within city government.
'I'm just excited to get out there,' she told the Observer.
King's statement announcing his campaign for the district also didn't directly reference Brown's indictment. The announcement said he 'enters the race with a deep commitment to smart growth, public safety and government transparency in one of the city's fastest-growing districts.'
King is best known for his 2013 for the Elizabeth City City Council while a student at Elizabeth City State University. He made national news when his eligibility for the race was challenged due to his on-campus address. King ultimately was ruled eligible and won a council seat.
He currently works as a nonprofit executive and renewable energy consultant, and he previously worked as a teacher and legislative assistant for Democrats in the North Carolina legislature.
On his campaign website, King lists a platform focused on equitable growth, public safety, sustainability and transparent government.
'District 3 is changing fast. We need to make sure that development doesn't outpace infrastructure, that public safety keeps up with growth, and that residents have a voice in the decisions shaping their neighborhoods,' he said in his campaign announcement.
The official candidate filing window for the 2025 municipal elections runs from July 7 to July 18.
Brown won an open three-person Democratic primary in 2023 before defeating Republican James Harrison Bowers by a margin of 78.6% to 21.2% in the general election to secure her first term.
