Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles won the Democratic primary in her bid for a fifth two-year term, coasting to victory despite calls for her to resign over last month’s horrific light-rail stabbing and what many considered her tone-deaf statements on the attack.
Ms. Lyles, 72, took 70.7% of the vote in Tuesday’s balloting, easily defeating her four challengers. Her closest competitor, Brendan Maginnis, captured just 12.2% of the votes cast.
She will face Republican Terrie Donovan and Libertarian Rob Yates in the Nov. 4 general election, but Ms. Lyles is regarded as the overwhelming favorite in the Democrat-dominant city in North Carolina.
Her victory came against the backdrop of a national uproar over the Aug. 22 fatal stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in a seemingly unprovoked attack on the Charlotte light rail, an incident framed by President Trump and Republicans as an example of out-of-control crime in Democrat-run cities.
Ms. Lyles was pilloried for her soft-on-crime response to the killing, starting with an Aug. 26 statement to Charlotte’s WSOC-TV that appeared to prioritize perpetrators over victims.
The mayor defended the transit system’s safety and expressed “compassion” for those struggling with psychological issues, adding that “we will never arrest our way out [of] issues such as homelessness and mental health.”
The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., was homeless and diagnosed with schizophrenia, his mother told the station. He had also been arrested 14 times since 2011.
“I want to be clear that I am not villainizing those who struggle with their mental health or those who are unhoused,” Ms. Lyles told WSOC’s Joe Bruno. “Mental health disease is just that — a disease like any other that needs to be treated with the same compassion, diligence and commitment as cancer or heart disease.”
After the Charlotte Area Transit System released surveillance video of the attack Friday, she issued another statement that began by thanking “media partners” for refraining from reposting the video before saying she was “heartbroken” over the “senseless and tragic loss.”
Her third statement, issued Monday, took a tougher tone, blaming the crime on a “tragic failure by the courts and the magistrates” and saying that more security and police would be deployed to guard the light rail.
Those demanding that she resign include Republican Rep. Ralph Norman, who’s running for governor of South Carolina.
“We don’t need more ’compassion’ for sick and twisted criminals. They need jail sentences. And this one needs the death penalty,” said Mr. Norman in a Tuesday statement. “Mayor Lyles should resign. Her statements of concern for this assailant make her unfit to lead a major city.”
He added: “South Carolinians should beware traveling to Charlotte while Mayor Lyles remains in office.”
Ms. Lyles was congratulated by Jessica Mackler, president of Emily’s List, which seeks to elect pro-choice Democratic women to office.
“As mayor, she has dedicated herself to delivering real results, stability, and big wins for the city of Charlotte,” said Ms. Mackler on X. “I look forward to reelecting her in November and making her the second-longest serving mayor in Charlotte.”
Ms. Lyles was elected to her first term in 2017 and reelected in 2019, 2022 and 2023, with a margin of victory in each race no less than 37%, according to Ballotpedia.
The 2022 race was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.