Last Thursday, RedState reported on the abrupt resignation of Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Vi Lyles (pictured above), effective June 30th, where she indicated it was time to spend more time with family. It was news that surprised many of the locals here because Lyles, a Democrat who has held the office since December 2017, is only six months into a two-year term.
Health issues were floated by political observers as the reason for the decision. The 73-year-old Lyles had been notably absent from many official public functions, including zoning meetings, since her reelection and had also appeared confused, forgetful, and repetitive at the ones she did attend.
The next step for the Charlotte City Council will be to appoint an interim mayor to serve out the remainder of Lyles' term. Not surprisingly, racial politics has entered the chat, and in a way that has disgusted many, including some of the city's minority voters.
READ MORE: Speculation Swirls After Charlotte's Democrat Mayor, Vi Lyles, Abruptly Resigns
On Monday, former Charlotte mayor Jennifer Roberts, also a Democrat, shared that she was interested in the interim mayor position, which she said she would serve without pay. Roberts, I should note, served for a number of years on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners (including as its chairwoman) and was also Charlotte's mayor for two years before Lyles primaried her in 2017:
I want to let you know that I am willing to serve as an interim mayor and I apologize for speaking to a few media sources before coming to you first to let you know this. I did not foresee this happening in my career path, but so many people in the community have asked me to offer my service as interim mayor that I feel called to do so. [...] If you so choose, It would be a seamless and fairly quick transition and not need yet another process to replace someone else already serving in office.
She also said she would not run for a full term once this one was up.
Because Lyles is a Democrat, the position would have to go to someone else who was also a Democrat, per state law. With Roberts being a former mayor with years of experience in city and county government, it would seem like a natural, seamless fit for her to step into the role, right?
Not to the race-mongers at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP, which wrote on Facebook Monday that the next mayor must be a black female Democrat or else (Roberts is white):
It is seriously disturbing for white folks to be lobbying to be the interim Mayor in Charlotte. Our Mayor who recently resigned is a Black woman who is a registered Democrat.
While Black representation is being undermined and stripped nationwide; White folks are either tone deaf or worse.... self centered! It's not about YOU!
In Charlotte, Black Voters have been intentional about having Black representation.
What is the consensus after several discussion; If the City Council votes a non- Black person in as interim Mayor again...voters will hold you accountable next year.
This sort of thing is so toxic. pic.twitter.com/EzWFWiYsLv
— Andrew Dunn (@andrew_dunn) May 12, 2026
Considering some of the outright trash and hatefulness that have come out of the local NAACP over the last several years, seeing a backlash in the comments from other residents, including minority voters whom Democrats like to target, made me hopeful that not all hope is lost for my city. Here was a sampling of them:
"It's not about race, it's who is actually qualified to be interim mayor of Charlotte, because Charlotte definitely needs good leadership!"
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"So let me get this straight, the interim Mayor must be black? That seems like racism doesn’t it?"
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"This should not be about race at all, but about who can help this city the most."
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"Why not Asian? Or Hispanic?"
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"What is more disturbing is how flagrently racist this post is"
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"Seriously why does color have to be a issue , as long as they are for the people what does color matter , everyone trying to push hate and make it racial when it’s not about that at all it’s about serving the city and residents"
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"This looks like something a white girl would write."
Now, something else to keep in mind when you read that NAACP post and the claims about "black representation" is that they are threatening a City Council that is almost entirely made up of Democrat "people of color" that they will be primaried if they choose someone for interim mayor who doesn't look like them.
Another local commenter shared the stats:
Racial and political profile of government leaders in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County:
Of the Charlotte City Council members, Mecklenburg County Commissioners, Mayor of Charlotte, Chief of Police of Charlotte, County Sheriff, City Manager, County Manager -- 24 of the 25 (96%) people are Democrats. Meanwhile only about 40% of the population of Charlotte is registered Democrat.
And 20 of the 25 officials (80%) are "people of color." Meanwhile only about 35% of the population of Charlotte is black.
So what we see in the area is that Democrats and blacks are both vastly disproportionately represented in government leadership roles.....and the NAACP still whines.
Anyone who wants a closer look can check out the City Council and Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners pages for the receipts. Demographic information for Char-Meck can be viewed here.
By the way, Rev. Corrine Mack is who "leads" the Char-Meck NAACP, so none of this is too surprising:
🚨#BREAKING: Corrine Mack, the president of Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP, is preaching that POTUS believes "Hitler was the greatest man on earth" & his "whole vision is to be just like Hitler & create 1940's Germany in the United States."
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 14, 2025
This is slander.pic.twitter.com/cIAoLyCZZA
Racism in government and among the various special interest groups whose support they seek is bad, but this level is toxic indeed, so much so that it's caused a much-deserved and long-overdue backlash against it.
While it's not anywhere near enough to change the dynamics in this city, it's a baby step forward in the rejection of the radical left's poisonous, destructive identity politics and racial games at a time when prominent Democrats at the state and national levels are fanning the flames about the "new Jim Crow South" and the "Confederate states" after the recent SCOTUS and SCOVA (Virginia Supreme Court) rulings related to redistricting.
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