Tiawana Brown, a member of the Charlotte City Council who was charged in May with loan fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic, received a boost Tuesday in her reelection campaign.
Montravias King, one of her rivals, halted his campaign and supported Brown for the seat in District 3, which includes west and southwest Charlotte.
Brown would become the first person elected to the Charlotte City Council while facing prosecution if he were elected to a second term.
King, Joi Mayo, and Warren Turner are her three opponents in the Democratic primary next month.
King declared Brown the front-runner and withdrew from the contest during a panel at the Tuesday Morning Breakfast discussion.
Following the forum, he stated that many voters in District 3 still adore and respect Councilwoman Brown. They are emotionally attached to her. I will not discuss that further.
Brown entered a not guilty plea and stated that she never thought about stepping down or not seeking reelection.
Brown stated on Tuesday, “I never once imagined that I was going to lose my seat due to allegations.” Everyone must get their turn in court. I believe my constituents are aware of that. It won’t be unanimous for me to lose my seat, even though some people might change their minds.
To move on to the main election in November, the victor must collect 30% of the primary vote. The predominantly Democratic district will favor whichever Democrat wins. James Bowers, a Republican, is in the race.
Following his third-place vote for the coveted Black Political Caucus endorsement, King made his decision.
According to reports, Mayo, an activist with Trees Charlotte, earned 46 votes to Brown’s 45, though the BPC has not yet made the results public.
According to Brown, she is aware of at least one of her supporters who requested a BPC ballot but never got one. “That needs to be fixed,” she remarked.
The BPC chose not to respond.
According to King, the BPC and candidates will meet on Friday to talk about the endorsement procedure. He called for a re-election and advised his caucus members to endorse Brown.
