3 long-serving local Democrats lose; Republican Berger in trouble
Plus: Aquarium envisioned for Discovery Place; I-77 plans moved back; Ledger switching tech platforms; LendingTree embraces AI and pet insurance; Review of 'Esperanza Rising'
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Democrats push out long-serving incumbents Leake, Cunningham and Majeed, while Republican N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger is down 2 votes (!) to cowboy-hat-wearing sheriff
by Tony Mecia
Mecklenburg County voters on Tuesday ousted three longtime local Democratic politicians, instead choosing younger faces who are more closely aligned with the party’s leadership and less likely to vote with Republicans.
And one of North Carolina’s most powerful Republicans, Senate leader Phil Berger, is in a fight for his political life, trailing his Republican opponent in a Greensboro-area seat by two votes out of 26,000 cast, with all precincts reporting, in a contest surely headed for a recount.
In two N.C. House races in the University City area, Democratic and unaffiliated voters gave the boot to Reps. Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeed, whom Democratic leaders had criticized for voting occasionally with Republicans to override Democratic vetoes.
Majeed, an 80-year-old Vietnam veteran who served eight years on the Charlotte City Council after being elected in 1991, has served in the N.C. House since 2018. He was defeated by 57-year-old health consultant and former N.C. Democratic Party official Veleria Levy.
Cunningham, 64, is a registered nurse who was first elected to the N.C. House in 2013. She was defeated by 59-year-old Biblical professor Ronnie Sadler.
And in a race for a west Mecklenburg county commissioners seat, voters replaced Vilma Leake, who is in her 90s, with the former executive director of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party, Monifa “Mo” Drayton. Leake was first elected to office in 1997, when she won a seat on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, and then was elected to the county commission in 2008, where she has served for the past 18 years.
The outcomes of those three races won’t shift the balance of power between the two major parties. They’re all safe Democratic seats, and there are no Republicans running in the N.C. House districts where the incumbents lost.
But they do show the extent to which party support and networks matter in primary elections — particularly in low-turnout contests where endorsements and organizational backing can shape the outcome more than name recognition or tenure.
And speaking of organizational backing, the results throughout the county show the influence of the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg in Democratic Party politics. Of the 16 Mecklenburg candidates in contested races on Tuesday, 15 who were endorsed by the Black Political Caucus won.
In several other closely watched local races, Democratic incumbents won, including three at-large Mecklenburg County commissioners and widely criticized Sheriff Garry McFadden. In each of those races, no Republican is running in the fall.
As expected, former Gov. Roy Cooper easily won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, as did former N.C. Republican Party official Michael Whatley, setting up a battle between the two in November that will attract national attention.
Charlotte-area U.S. House members Tim Moore and Alma Adams also won easily.
Berger, who was first elected to the N.C. Senate in 2000, was in a hard-fought and expensive campaign to save his seat against Sam Page, the cowboy-hat-wearing sheriff of Rockingham County. Berger, who has been one of the most dominant political figures in recent N.C. politics, has led the Senate for the last 16 years.
The two-vote margin in the Berger-Page race is expected to change, as election officials still need to count provisional ballots and those cast by military and overseas voters, WRAL reported.
Tony Mecia is The Ledger’s executive editor. Reach him at tony@cltledger.com.
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Tuesday’s election results
U.S. Senate
Democratic primary: Roy Cooper (92%), Justin Dues (3%), Marcus W. Williams (2%), Daryl Farrow (1%), Orrick Quick (1%), Robert Colon (1%)
Republican primary: Michael Whatley (65%), Donald M. “Don” Brown (16%), Thomas Johnson (6%), Michele Morrow (6%), Elizabeth A. Temple (4%), Richard Dansie (2%)
➡️ Cooper and Whatley will face each other in November’s general election.
U.S. House, NC-8
Democratic primary: Colby Watson (48%), Kevin Clark (37%), Jesse Oppenheim (15%). Watson faces incumbent Republican Mark Harris in November.
U.S. House, NC-12
Democratic primary: Alma Adams (79%), Monica Maye Williamson (21%)
Republican primary: Jack Codiga (67%), Addul Ali (33%)
➡️ Adams and Codiga will compete in November.
U.S. House, NC-14
Democratic primary: Lakesha Womack (52%), Brent Caldwell (42%), Ahmid Kargbo (6%)
Republican primary: Tim Moore (83%), Kate Barr (17%)
➡️ Womack will face Moore in November.
N.C. Senate
District 37, Democratic primary: Raygan J. Angel (63%), Precinda Bjorgen (37%). Angel will face incumbent Republican Vickie Sawyer in November.
N.C. House
District 99, Democratic primary: Veleria M. Levy (69%), Nasif Majeed (26%). Levy has no opposition in November.
District 106, Democratic primary: Rodney Sadler (70%), Carla D. Cunningham (22%), Vermanno Bowman (8%). Sadler has no opposition in November.
District 105, Republican primary: Tricia Ann Cotham (85%), Kelly VanHorn (15%). Cotham will face Democrat Ken McCool in November.
Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, at-large (3 seats)
Democratic primary: Leigh Altman (19.8%), Arthur Griffin Jr., (19.7%), Yvette Townsend-Ingram (16%), Nichel Dunlap (9%), Felicia R. Thompkins (8%), Sharif R. Hannan (7%), Leslie Allen (6%), Heather Morrow (6%), Olivia Scott (5%), Toni Emehel (4%).
➡️ Altman, Griffin and Townsend-Ingram will have no opposition in November’s election.
Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, district races, Democratic primary
District 1: Morris “Mac” McAdoo (49%), Jessica Finkel (33%), Adam Pasiak (18%). McAdoo faces Republican Aaron Marin in November.
District 2: Monifa “Mo” Drayton (52%), Vilma D. Leake (48%). Drayton faces Republican Angela White Edwards in November.
District 3: George Dunlap (81%), Phil Carey (19%). Dunlap will have no opposition in November.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff
Democratic primary: Garry L. McFadden (34%), Ricky Ricardo Robbins (31%), Rodney M. Collins (27%), Antwain Nance (8%). McFadden has no opposition in November.
➡️ Check out the full list at the N.C. State Board of Elections.
Ideas floated for Discovery Place Science: Add an aquarium, move from its current uptown location
Discovery Place Science, which has been eyed for reinvestment for at least a decade now, could expand to include Charlotte’s first aquarium. But plans for the museum’s future are far from firm and are sure to be costly.
Between the uptown museum, at 168 W. Sixth St., and its adjacent parking deck, Discovery Place covers nearly two blocks of city-owned property and sits along a corridor, North Tryon, that both public and private sector groups would like to see revitalized.
Discovery Place also owns a 1.4-acre parcel (at 201 W. Seventh St.) behind its parking deck, according to real estate records. The uptown museum opened in 1981, and its last major round of renovations was in 2011, a $31.6M project that included funding from the city and Mecklenburg County.
Before the pandemic, Discovery Place leadership was weighing an expensive redevelopment of its uptown facility. Those plans were shelved as revenue and attendance for museums dried up during Covid.
Several options are on the table for the flagship Discovery Place’s future, including an aquarium, either at its existing uptown site or elsewhere.
Discovery Place and the city are weighing options that include relocating the museum (then use its current uptown real estate for something else) or doing a mixed-use redevelopment at its existing site, said Alyson Craig, a deputy city manager, during Charlotte City Council’s retreat on Tuesday afternoon.
She said a local consultant and a “cultural resource consultant” have been hired to do preliminary work on cost analysis and other considerations. More specifics about Discovery Place will go before the City Council’s economic development committee later this spring.
Craig noted that Discovery Place’s urban location “limits traditional growth” and that it would be tough to expand the current facility. A “multisite” option for Discovery Place would allow “different options for different ideas and different experiences” for visitors, she said.
But multiple sites would also mean a higher maintenance-to-revenue cost ratio, Craig said. An aquarium, specifically, would require custom infrastructure and carry 24-hour operational costs.
“It’s a pretty big commitment, and it’s not an insignificant operational cost,” Craig said, adding corporate, philanthropic and civic support would be needed for the project to be successful. At this time, it’s not clear how much Discovery Place will seek in public funding.
In a statement to The Ledger, Discovery Place CEO Catherine Wilson Horne said the facility “faces real limitations” in serving the public and added: “We are encouraged by the City’s vision and excited by the direction of these conversations around expanding Charlotte’s cultural and educational offerings, including the potential for an aquarium. This long-term planning represents an important opportunity for Charlotte to invest in science, education, and civic infrastructure in a way that reflects the ambition and momentum of our city.”
Most council members praised Discovery Place’s programmatic offerings, with council member Dimple Ajmera saying it’s one of the few cultural facilities in Charlotte geared toward young children. Council member LaWana Mayfield said she would love to see the museum stay in uptown, especially given other recent investments in the North Tryon corridor.
Council member Malcolm Graham, who said he served on Discovery Place’s board, said there has to be “a business case” in terms of public investment and whether the museum would be able to meet the city one-third or halfway financially.
Right now, Charlotteans who want to get their aquarium fix must travel to Concord Mills to visit the Sea Life Charlotte-Concord Aquarium. —Ashley Fahey
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NCDOT pushes back timeline on I-77 South widening; council members ask if all options have been explored
The N.C. Department of Transportation is delaying by about 90 days the first draft of a Request for Proposals for its controversial $3.2B plan to add toll lanes along 11 miles of I-77 South, a move that came hours before Charlotte City Council was set to discuss calls for a pause amid strong westside opposition.
The agency says the project — which is envisioned as an elevated highway near some west Charlotte neighborhoods — is meant to address congestion and safety on the corridor, though residents and several council members are questioning the design and asking whether alternatives have been fully explored.
The Ledger’s Ashley Fahey took a closer look at what we know, what we don’t and what happens next:
Charlotte Ledger to switch tech platforms starting today; You don’t need to do anything, and we’ll keep sending newsletters as usual
A note from Ledger editor Tony Mecia:
Starting today, you might notice a minor change at The Charlotte Ledger — one that should have only a small effect on your customer experience.
Beginning this afternoon (Wednesday, March 4), we will be switching the tech platform we use to send email newsletters and post them online. Since The Ledger started in 2019, we have used a platform called Substack. Now, as our business grows and evolves, we are moving to a platform called Beehiiv. (Yes, that is the actual spelling. They also prefer the “B” to be lower case.)
Ledger readers might notice a few immediate effects after we make the switch:
Emails: Ledger email newsletters will come from a different address, such as the-charlotte-ledger@mail.beehiiv.com or newsletter@mail.thecharlotteledger.com. It is possible these could initially go to your email spam folder. If so, please move them into your inbox to ensure accurate delivery.
App: If you use the Substack app and receive push notifications to your phone when The Ledger publishes something, you will no longer receive those notifications. Your email address will receive the email newsletters.
Website: To read articles on The Ledger’s new website, you might be asked to sign in. (Use your same email address, and you will be emailed a link – there is no password.) It might take a few days to get everything on the new site working as it should.
Design: The appearance of our newsletters and website might look slightly different. In the coming months, we plan to redesign our newsletters and website, but for now, these should look similar to what you’re used to.
That’s it. Everything else stays the same. There is nothing for you to do to continue as a Ledger reader.
We are planning to keep sending newsletters Thursday (Real Estate Whispers), Friday, Saturday, Monday … and beyond. The process of migrating everything should take a few days.
Substack has been a great partner in helping us build The Ledger. It is easy to use, and it works. The company has been a pioneer in email newsletters, and if it didn’t exist in 2019, I’m not sure I would have started The Ledger. I’m a reporter at heart — not a tech person, as my colleagues will tell you. Substack made it possible for a guy like me to build a business around providing information to people.
But as The Ledger has continued to grow, we need tools that are well-suited to modern media companies. Beehiiv has those tools. Most of the ones that our team is excited about are internal-facing, features like having a photo library and contemporaneous team editing and automations, which will allow us to be more efficient.
Please let our team know if you have any questions, or if something isn’t working quite right. Many thanks!
LendingTree is going all-in on AI — and will start offering pet insurance 🐶 🐈, new CEO says
Charlotte-based financial technology company LendingTree plans to move into offering pet insurance and other emerging kinds of insurance, loans and advice, as part of its efforts to become the No. 1 destination to shop for financial products.
The company is also fully embracing the use of artificial intelligence in call centers and marketing after revenue boosts show that those strategies are working, new CEO Scott Peyree told analysts on an earnings call on Monday.
“We view these new tools as fantastic opportunities for our business and are a key component of the strategy we have developed” to increase the number of people shopping for financial products at the company’s website, Peyree said. “… We are embracing this innovative technology. I cannot be more excited about the AI-powered improvements that we are making to our consumer experience.”
LendingTree, founded in 1996, is one of Charlotte’s more enduring and successful tech companies. It works with banks and insurance companies to market financial products to consumers.
While LendingTree is best-known for offering mortgages, personal loans and insurance, Peyree said the company plans to expand into “all financial products a consumer could want” by partnering with providers of commercial insurance, pet insurance, boat and RV insurance, wealth management, student lending and “robo-advisers,” which are low-fee digital platforms that use algorithms to manage investments.
The market for pet insurance is expected to quintuple in the U.S. by 2033, driven by increases in pet ownership, higher veterinarian costs and the trend of treating pets as family members. (The Ledger examined the phenomenon in 2024.)
Peyree took over as CEO in October after the death of longtime CEO Doug Lebda in a utility-vehicle accident.
He told The Ledger in January that LendingTree plans to keep growing here. In February, The Ledger reported that the company laid off writers, copy editors and SEO content coordinators. Referring to those layoffs, Peyree later told the Charlotte Business Journal that the company cut 24 positions out of an area that “has to do with AI.”
LendingTree said it had a strong end to last year, with fourth-quarter revenues up 22% and higher profits compared with a year earlier. —Tony Mecia
Related Ledger articles:
“A sudden tragedy thrust him into the CEO role at LendingTree” (Jan. 16)
“LendingTree trims workforce” (Feb. 4)
Review: Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s ‘Esperanza Rising’ races through tragedy and upheaval to chart a young girl’s journey during the Great Depression
Arts critic Lawrence Toppman attended a recent performance of Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s “Esperanza Rising,” a swift adaptation of Pam Muñoz Ryan’s novel about a Mexican girl forced to rebuild her life in Depression-era California.
In his review, sent to Toppman on the Arts subscribers yesterday, he wrote:
Arson, bandits, murder, a dust storm, a potentially fatal disease, threats by a leering mustachioed villain, exile from a home owned for generations, a near-fatal illness, a strike among migrant workers interrupted by club-wielding cops, the first stirrings of young love — “Esperanza Rising” has enough incidents to fill a multi-episode telenovela.
That’s not surprising, as Pam Muñoz Ryan’s young adult novel runs 300-plus pages in its paperback version. Playwright Alvaro Saar Rios has squeezed these elements into a 70-minute show that blasts forward like the train carrying the 13-year-old heroine from her Mexican ranch to the labor camps of California during the Great Depression. It left me touched by her plight, rooting for her eventual rise after a precipitous fall, overwhelmed and rather exhausted.
The show runs through March 15 at ImaginOn, 300 E. Seventh St.
🎭 Sign up for The Ledger’s Toppman on the Arts newsletter on your account settings page to receive Toppman’s full reviews straight to your inbox.
You might be interested in these Charlotte events
Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s events board:
SATURDAY: “Michelle’s Mighty Mission 24,000 Meter Row,” 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Sugar Creek Brewing Company, 215 Southside Dr. Join Sugar Creek Brewing Company, CrossFit Mecklenburg and 24 Foundation to pull together for the cancer community at the Seventh Annual Michelle’s Mighty Mission 24,000 Meter Row. Be part of a high-energy day of fitness, fun and something truly mighty. All are welcome; participants must be age eight or older. $50/person.
MARCH 11: “PitchBreakfast,” 8:15-10 a.m., at Do Greater Charlotte, 2400 Greenland Ave. PitchBreakfast is a monthly startup pitch event highlighting local entrepreneurs pitching their businesses to a panel of advisors. Don’t miss this chance to grow your startup and make meaningful connections! Free.
MARCH 13: “2025 Charlotte BusinessWoman of the Year,” 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Queens University of Charlotte, 1900 Selwyn Ave. Join Queens University of Charlotte for the 40th Annual Charlotte BusinessWoman of the Year Luncheon to honor Tammy DeBoer, President of Harris Teeter, as the 2025 recipient. Be part of a powerful afternoon of recognition, inspiration, and connection with the region’s most influential leaders. Limited individual and table registrations remain. $125/individual ticket. $1,250/table (8 seats).
➡️ List your event on the Ledger events board.
In brief
York area tops region for toughest commute: New data from the United States Census Bureau shows that York ranks as the Charlotte metro’s hardest commute, with heavy traffic along routes like I-77 pushing drive times higher. (Observer, subscriber-only)
Vacant building debate: Families at Collinswood Language Academy are calling on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to demolish an abandoned building next to campus, citing trespassing, drug use and a recent police report involving a gun. CMS says it has increased security and is weighing long-term options, including a possible sale or demolition. (WFAE)
Chemical spill contained in Fort Mill: A hazmat team responded Tuesday after about 1,530 gallons of liquid containing potassium hydroxide were released at Silfab Solar, with most of it captured in a retention pool. Officials say the spill posed no threat to the public or nearby schools. (WSOC)
Japanese restaurant will close: Baku, an upscale Japanese restaurant and bar in SouthPark, will shut its doors in April after 13 years. Owner Birdie Yang thanked customers for years of support and memories. (Observer, subscriber-only)
Phone-free bar opens in Dilworth: A cocktail bar opening today in Dilworth called Antagonist locks patrons’ phones for two hours to encourage “a place that kind of forces you to connect,” its co-owner says. An Axios reporter tried going phone-free there and found she “was able to truly disconnect from the world” and “completely lost track of time.” (Axios Charlotte)
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