Mecklenburg County commissioner Pat Cotham loses the seat she has held since 2012

Pat Cotham, a longtime Mecklenburg County commissioner, was upset in the Democratic primary Tuesday, ending a 12-year run on the board.

Cotham, an at-large commissioner first elected in 2012, trailed the top three vote-getters throughout the night, becoming the rare Mecklenburg at-large incumbent to be defeated.

“I’m very proud of the work I’ve done. I’m humbled by the support I’ve had since 2012,” Cotham told The Charlotte Observer Tuesday night after a day of handing out supplies to people experiencing homelessness uptown. “I have been a consistent voice for people who have not had a voice.”

Cotham said she wasn’t sure if she’ll run again for the board in the future.

“I’m at a different point of my life. I can do things now I couldn’t before,” Cotham said. “I’ve been thrilled to be a commissioner for six terms, but I’m looking forward to the last few months of it.”

Cotham trailed fellow at-large incumbents Leigh Altman and Arthur Griffin and challenger Yvette Townsend-Ingram, the director of foundation relations at Johnson C. Smith University. With 100% of precincts reporting, Altman led with 25.99% of the votes, followed by Griffin with 24.79% and Townsend-Ingram with 23.76%. Cotham trailed Townsend-Ingram in fourth place with 17.58% of the votes, and challenger Blake Van Leer was in fifth with 7.89%.

Out of the 788,704 voters registered in the county, about 19%, or 147,269, voters cast ballots this year.

Altman, who received the most at-large votes, said she was “thrilled and grateful” for the support she received from voters.

“I was at the polls for 12 hours, and it was so fantastic getting to talk to residents about their priorities and their concerns, and just to come together as a community to chart our future together,” Altman said.

She said she was looking forward to focusing on transportation and working across party lines to accommodate the county’s growth.

“We have to have courage and vision and come together, Democrats and Republicans all across Mecklenburg County, and make some really important decisions for the future that we want to have,” Altman said. “How we’re going to move people to economic centers, and have better access to affordable housing needs to be a top priority.”

Asked about Cotham’s result, Altman said she was “grateful” for the work Cotham accomplished while on the board. She also said she was looking forward to working with Townsend-Ingram.

Speaking with the Observer from a watch party at Innovation Barn on Tuesday, Townsend-Ingram said she was “blessed, really blessed.”

She said she was “forever grateful” to receive the community’s support, and was looking forward to them “holding me accountable.”

“I’m not ashamed to say that I have used county services, so I have skin in the game. I know the gaps in services,” Townsend-Ingram said. “It’s not about Republicans and Democrats. It’s about issues. And those are the things that I want to help people with in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, and I hope that they understand.”

Townsend-Ingram also praised Cotham, saying she received a supportive phone call from her opponent after the results.

“Pat is amazing,” Townsend-Ingram said. “She has a legacy here in Charlotte.”

Cotham was hoping to win despite low voter turnout and missing out on key endorsements from groups like the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, who endorsed Townsend-Ingram instead. The LGBTQ+ Democrats of Mecklenburg County, another branch of the county’s Democratic Party, put Townsend-Ingram above Cotham in their candidate rankings.

Some political observers had suggested that voters might turn on Cotham after her daughter, state Rep. Tricia Cotham, switched parties last year, giving Republicans a supermajority in the state House.

The two groups also endorsed Commissioner Vilma D. Leake’s opponent, entrepreneur Charles Osborne, in District 2, but Leake held a sizeable lead over him. Leake had 63.11% of the votes, while Osborne had 36.89%.

The Board of County Commissioners

The board consists of nine commissioners — three at-large, and six representing districts — who are responsible for, among other things, adopting the county’s annual budget, setting property tax rates, and meeting community priorities on things like education and health. All nine current commissioners are Democrats.

There were no Republican primaries in 2024 for the board of commissioners.

Candidates focused on a range of issues this year, from education and jobs, to housing and transportation.

District seats

At the district level, all incumbents sought re-election, with only Dunlap and Leake facing primary challenges.

District 1 Commissioner Elaine Powell, District 5’s Laura Meier, and District 6 Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell were unopposed in the primary, but will face Republican challengers in November. Vice Chairman Mark Jerrell, who represents District 4, is unopposed in the Democratic primary and general election.

Leake will face Republican Angela White Edwards in November’s general election.

Dunlap, 67, who was first elected to the board in 2008, defeated Felicia R. Thompkins, 64, a talent acquisition consultant. Dunlap had received 67.52% of the vote. He faces no challenger in the general election.

General Election Day is Nov. 5.