An open-seat mirage in North Carolina’s suburbs

Mecklenburg’s open county commission seat looks like an opportunity for Republicans. The numbers say it’s a trap.

When I got an email saying my Democratic county commissioner was stepping down at the end of her term, my first thought was: Who’s going to jump in?

The south Charlotte seat on the Mecklenburg County Commission was the last bastion for Republicans on that board, held for years by my friend Matthew Ridenhour. In many ways, it still feels like it should be safe Republican territory.

Of course, that hasn’t been true for 10 years now. I guess that’s a sign that I’m getting old.

District 5 is now a textbook case of what happens when a once-reliable GOP suburb completes its political migration.

Last week, I made the case that Charlotte Republicans should essentially give up on trying to win municipal races and focus on statewide contests instead. The open District 5 seat is the first real test of that argument. If we’re serious about focusing on winnable races, this is exactly the kind of race we have to be willing to walk away from. That’s harder than it sounds.

It’s not just a Charlotte story.…