Libertarian Candidates in 2025

The Libertarian Party of Mecklenburg county is proud to support and fully endorse our friend and executive committee member Rob Yates as the Libertarian Candidate for Mayor of Charlotte. Rob brings a wealth of knowledge and heart full of principles that can carry Charlotte to a prosperous future.

Candidate

Website

Request a Yard Sign

Opponents

Rob Yates, Charlotte Mayoral CandidateRob Yates (L)

 prospercharlotte.com/ Mayor Vi Lyles (D)

Terrie D. Donovan (R)

Ballot Measures

On your ballot this year is a sales tax referendum. It is intended to fund train and bus expansions throughout the county, but plans rely heavily on federal funding that will not be forthcoming. It lacks a sunset measure, so just like the transit tax of a half cent from the late 90s that we are still paying to subsidize the honor-system based blue line, this will triple it to a cent and a half on every dollar we spend in the county forever. It will also take this county money and spread it out to be controlled by a new regional oversight organization that will include several neighboring counties and essentially be controlled by Charlotte City Council.

LPMeck highly recommends voting NO on this transit tax hike referendum.

Non-Libertarian 2025 Candidates

LPMeck is acknowledging that we have failed to recruit many registered Libertarians, or even LPMeck members who are willing to run for office under our banner. We are working to improve this track record. While we work on that, we want our members to vote and be active, so these lists are intended to give you some insight to the rest of the candidates. Below are the candidates who responded to our survey, a summary of their overall responses, an LPMeck “libertarian” alignment score and links to their full responses so you can judge for yourself. We hope you get out and vote, regardless of the number of Gold candidates on your ballots.

Please note that party affiliation is not taken into account for our purposes. Municipal elections in North Carolina are predominantly non-partisan, so party affiliation is not posted. Charlotte City Council and Mayoral races are an exception. As partisan races we will not be endorsing any candidate in Charlotte apart from our Mayor of Charlotte Candidate Rob Yates. In all other towns and CMS School Board races, we may opt to endorse or promote candidates we feel are strongly aligned with the principles of our party.

City Council and Town Commission

Candidate Name

Race

Jurisdiction

Summary of Responses

LPMeck  Score

Opponents
Robin Emmons (U) City Council Charlotte – District 3

Supports flexible zoning, opposes the transit tax hike for its lack of accountability, and advocates cutting bureaucratic inefficiencies. She champions private-sector solutions, individual choice, and transparent governance.

 92%  🟢 James H. Bowers, Joi Mayo
  Joi Mayo (D) City Council Charlotte – District 3

Supports less restrictive zoning, is neutral on transit tax hikes, and advocates cutting wasteful spending. She favors private-sector solutions, individual freedom, and community-driven development.

 88%  🟢 James H. Bowers, Robin Emmons
JD Mazuera Arias (D) City Council Charlotte – District 5 Supports smarter, flexible zoning for affordable housing, opposes the transit tax hike due to its burden on District 5, and rejects corporate subsidies. He advocates for transparency, fiscal responsibility, and private-sector efficiency. 85%  🟢 Unopposed
Misun Kim (R) City Council Charlotte – At Large Opposes the transit tax hike, prioritizing fiscal restraint and transparency. Advocates cutting bureaucratic overhead, supports private-sector solutions for housing and transit, and champions limited government and individual liberty. 94%  🟢 Dimple Ajmera, James (Smuggie) Mitchell, Jr., LaWana Slack-Mayfield, Victoria Watlington, Edwin B. Peacock III
Todd Sansbury Town Commission Cornelius Supports stricter zoning to ensure quality development, opposes the transit tax hike due to uncertain benefits, and rejects budget cuts to meet growth demands. He champions personal freedom as a core Libertarian stance. 85%   🟢 Robert Carney, Michael DeVoney,  Colin J. Furcht, Susan Johnson, Michael D. Osborne
Kerry Lamson Town Commission Matthews

Supports simpler zoning, opposes transit tax hikes due to Matthews’ exclusion, and advocates for fiscal accountability, and private-sector efficiency. As an unaffiliated candidate, she emphasizes property rights and low taxes.

 75%  🟡 Susan Chambers, Jonathan Clayton, Jim Dedmon, Jennefer Cross Garrity, Brian Hacker, Gina Hoover,  Mark Tofano, John Urban, George Young
Jonathan Clayton Town Commission Matthews Opposes transit tax hikes, supports smaller government, and favors private-sector efficiency over government overreach. He’s neutral on zoning changes and focuses on fiscal restraint within existing budgets. 75%  🟡 Susan Chambers, Jim Dedmon, Jennefer Cross Garrity, Brian Hacker, Gina Hoover, Kerry Lamson, Mark Tofano, John Urban, George Young
Scott Coronet Town Commission Huntersville

Opposes tax hikes and champions personal freedoms but supports stricter zoning regulations and rejects budget cuts, favoring expanded public spending on infrastructure over private-sector retreats.

 56%  🟡 Dan Boone, Frank Gammon, Jennifer Hunt,  Edwin Quarles,  LaToya Rivers, Heather Smallwood, Nick Walsh, Jamie Wideman
Frank Gammon Town Commission Huntersville Supports less restrictive zoning to protect property rights, opposes the transit sales tax hike due to its burden on residents and businesses, and advocates cutting non-essential spending like retreats. He emphasizes private-sector efficiency, reduced taxes, and individual financial freedom. 95%  🟢 Dan Boone, Scott Coronet, Jennifer Hunt,  Edwin Quarles,  LaToya Rivers, Heather Smallwood, Nick Walsh, Jamie Wideman
Jamie Wideman Town Commission Huntersville Advocates flexible zoning, opposes regressive tax hikes favoring private transit partnerships, cuts wasteful spending, and supports government retreat from private-sector roles. He champions “live and let live” liberty as an unaffiliated candidate. 85%  🟢 Dan Boone, Scott Coronet, Frank Gammon, Jennifer Hunt,  Edwin Quarles,  LaToya Rivers, Heather Smallwood, Nick Walsh

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education

Candidate Name

Race

Jurisdiction

Summary of Responses

LPMeck  Score

Opponents
Melissa Easley School Board CMS District 1 Supports transparency, accountability, and reducing bureaucracy in CMS. She favors a county-wide system, balanced hiring, limited consultant use, and improved transportation, emphasizing community involvement and efficient resource allocation. 60%  🟡 Bill Fountain, Charlitta Hatch
Bill Fountain School Board CMS District 1 Advocates for decentralizing CMS into smaller districts, reducing bureaucracy, and prioritizing transparency, accountability, and merit. He criticizes excessive consultant use and inefficient transportation, emphasizing limited government and personal responsibility. 92%  🟢 Melissa Easley, Charlitta Hatch
Jillian King School Board CMS District 4 Supports decentralizing CMS into smaller, autonomous districts, reducing consultant reliance, and ensuring transparency and merit-based hiring. She praises transportation efforts but acknowledges inefficiencies, emphasizing equitable, safe education for all students. 68%  🟡 Robert L. Edwards, Stephanie Sneed
Lisa Cline School Board CMS District 5 Supports decentralizing CMS into smaller, autonomous districts, reducing consultant reliance, and ensuring transparency and merit-based hiring. She praises transportation efforts but acknowledges inefficiencies, emphasizing equitable, safe education for all students. 60%  🟡 Cynthia Stone

Scoring and Coding Details

Color Code Percent Range LPMeck Interpretation
 🟢  Green 80–100 % Strongly aligned with LPMeck principles (liberty-leaning candidate)
 🟡  Yellow 50–79 % Partial alignment with LPMeck principles
 🔴  Red 0–49 % Minimal or no alignment with LPMeck principles