John Lassiter’s concession speech. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Hope turned to heartbreak on election night at Republican John Lassiter’s mayoral campaign party.

Photos and essay after the jump:

A large crowd had already filled BlackFinn American Saloon at EpiCenter by the time Lassiter made his way through the crowd, just before 8 P.M. He addressed supporters by name as he shook hands with a smile.

John Lassiter greets supporters. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

A band played 70′s and 80′s Top 40 as men in tweed sport coats and women in pencil skirts sipped Sweetwater 420 and chardonnay. The crowd was lively and in high spirits. Large screens displayed early voting results throughout the bar. Supporters erupted in cheers as Lassiter passed Democrat Anthony Foxx by several hundred votes as the first precincts reported their tally.

Lassiter supporters watch early returns. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Throughout the evening, prominent Charlotte Republicans arrived at BlackFinn, including Andy Dulin and Warren Cooksey. Both won their City Council reelection bids by wide margins. When current Mayor Pat McCrory finally arrived close to 9:30 P.M., he was immediately surrounded by the press.

Mayor Pat McCrory arrives. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Lassiter supporters grew more concerned as the majority of the crowd became fixated on the large screens as Foxx retook the lead. Some checked their phones at the bar while others gathered around laptops at the back of the room, jotting down numbers and percentages on sticky notes. “There are still a few precincts left that could swing us,” commented one supporter.

Lassiter supporters look on as Foxx takes the lead. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

With only a handful of precincts left to report, frustration appeared to sweep over the once smiling and joking crowd. “It is a ghetto world after all,” quipped one devastated supporter as the reality of the defeat became apparent — the only loss of civility I witnessed all night. “Maybe next time, huh?” said one young man as he lifted his glass.

Supporters gather for Lassiter’s speech. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Lassiter emerged to give his concession speech to the heartbroken crowd. He was a gracious looser, showing strength and class as he congratulated Anthony Foxx via phone and thanked his supporters. He asked the band to continue playing, and stepped back into the crowd. Lassiter spent the rest of the night offering long embraces and firm handshakes to family, friends and supporters who had volunteered with his campaign the better part of nine months.

Lassiter beings concession speech. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

By 11 P.M. the crowd had thinned out, and the several dozen remaining gathered around the bar, or in half circles around Pat McCrory or John Lassiter. A hint of cigar smoke was in the air.

Family and friends embrace after the concession speech. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

City Council candidate Tariq Scott Bokhari, who learned of his defeat earlier in the night, took the stage as the band wrapped up. Strumming a blues rhythm on an electric guitar, Bokhari performed a song that gave the remaining supporters a little something to smile about. “I got them old-fashioned Republican blues. I guess-everyone’s-gonna-get-a-four-and-a-half-million-streetcar-study blues,” quipped a grinning Bokhari.

Tariq Scott Bokhari plays Republican Blues. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Slideshow of all the photos below:

slideshow: James Willamor; view this slideshow on Flickr

Supporters of mayoral candidate Anthony Foxx and media crews gathered in a ballroom of the Westin Hotel last week to watch election returns, renew connections and nosh on crab-lump hors d’oeuvres.

The candidate and family members kept out of sight early, and campaign and media watchers huddled around laptops periodically to watch as precincts reported results. About 9:30 p.m., as the candidate’s lead reached about 3,000 votes, the excited buzz in the room grew louder. About 10 p.m., Foxx’s family and supporters entered the room and made their way to a stage, and Foxx arrived shortly afterward.

One key moment: Former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt, the city’s first African American mayor, pointed out Foxx’s election meant Charlotte had its  first Democratic mayor in 22 years.

But perhaps the most touching moment: During Foxx’s speech, he acknowledged the presence and influence of his grandmother, who played a key role in launching him on his path.

More pictures below the fold:

Left: Anthony Foxx (D), right: John Lassiter (R). photos: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Regardless who wins Tuesday’s election, Charlotte will have a new mayor. That’s because Pat McCrory, Charlotte’s mayor of 14 years, is not seeking reelection. Voters will also decide races for Charlotte City Council, city leadership in other Mecklenburg towns, and the CMS School Board.

What you need to know to vote after the jump.

Electing a new mayor

Both candidates for mayor, Republican John Lassiter and Democrat Anthony Foxx, have served as at-large members of Charlotte City Council.  A poll released on Oct. 27th by Public Policy Polling shows both candidates tied. We hosted online town hall meetings featuring reader submitted questions for the candidates earlier this year. You can watch our online town hall with Anthony Foxx and with John Lassiter.

Charlotte City Council will see changes

Candidates are vying for the seats left vacant by Foxx and Lassiter, while others try to hold onto their seats. There are four at-large seats on City Council that are voted on by the entire city, in addition to the City Council representative from each district of the city. Many of the district races were decided in the Sept. 15th primary, and only Districts 6 and 7 are contested in Tuesday’s election.

What you need to know to vote

Early voting ended Saturday with about 24,000 ballots already cast. Voting will take place tomorrow (Tues. Nov. 3rd) from 6:30AM until 7:30PM.

Need to find your polling location? You can find out by entering your name on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.

Want to see a sample ballot for your district? Click on View My Sample Ballot on the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website.

Need to find out more about the candidates? Check out CharMeckVotes.org

CLTblog will be covering the election results live. You can join the discussion on Twitter with the hashtag #cltvote

voter turnout; dark red = 0-10%, bright red = 10-20%, white = not participating

Of 466,351 registered voters, 20,202 ballots were cast, equalling a 4.33% voter turnout. All precincts are completely reported.

John Lassiter, as expected, won the primary for Republican Mayoral candidate with a 79.54% margin. Martin Davis (Dirty Book guy), however, pulled an impressive 18.97%, or in more concrete terms, 2,031 votes (out of 10,706 total). Jack Stratton received only 1.49%.

Complete mayoral and city council results can be found at the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website.

video: Mecklenburg County; view this video on Vimeo

This election of a new Charlotte mayor this November is expected to be a contest between established and experienced leaders John Lassiter and Anthony Foxx, both of whom currently serve on the Charlotte City Council. First comes the primary on Tuesday, Sept. 15th. While Democrat Foxx has no opponents, Republican Lassiter has two challengers; Jack Stratton and Martin Davis.

Stratton, who doesn’t even live in Charlotte, features a rambling, incoherent website dedicated to an unintelligible conspiracy theory. The other fringe candidate, Martin Davis, has been dubbed “dirty book guy” by the Charlotte Observer and Creative Loafing.

Martin Davis first rose to notoriety at the October 7th, 1997 Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners meeting. Davis used a public comment period to read sexually explicit excerpts from “The Faber Book of Gay Fiction” which he had stumbled across at the public library. The meeting was broadcast live on television.

At first, the Commissioners allowed Davis to proceed. After several more sessions of reading aloud graphic and often homoerotic books, Chairman Parks Helms had enough. At the March 6th, 2001 County Commissioners meeting, Helms forbid Martin Davis from reading any adult material aloud. When Davis ignored the Chairman and attempted to read a special passage from “Woman on Top,” Helms had him forcefully removed from the building, or as Davis puts it “had a police officer attack me.” It was far from Davis’ only run-in with law enforcement, and it wouldn’t be his last performance at a County Commissioners meeting, either.

The episode lead to “dirty book guy” Davis landing on Creative Loafing’s list of “Ten Scariest People in Charlotte.”

The primary election is Tuesday, September 15th. Republicans and Democrats can vote in their respective parties’ primaries, and those registered as “unaffiliated” can choose which primary in which they want to vote. For more information on the primary, visit Andrea Krewson’s blog.

While it remains to be seen how Martin Davis will finish in the Tuesday primary, his antics at County Commissioners meetings are only good enough to land him in third place, trailing “rogue helicopter guy” and reigning champ, Chilly Willy. Chilly Willy for mayor, anyone?

video credit: Nathan Richie, Dave Potts, Justin Ruckman; watch this video on Viddler

Earlier this week, a poll conducted in Charlotte surveying 401 registered voters via telephone found that John Lassiter is leading Anthony Foxx 42 to 26 percent, with 32 percent undecided, in the upcoming mayoral race. Jim Morrill from the Observer has doubts about the accuracy of the poll, but one way or the other, it’s looking to be a close race.

Tonight, the two candidates participated in a forum at the Gateway YMCA hosted by the Third Ward Neighborhood Association.

The second CLT Blog Online Town Hall, this time with John Lassiter, was again a great success, with nearly identical viewership hanging out for our live broadcast earlier this month. Above is the complete hour-long recording, minus the first several minutes which we lost in the archives, with the questions asked of Lassiter tagged in the timeline.

Special thanks, once again, to Dave Potts (@dave_potts on Twitter) for manning the camera, and Nathan Richie (@nathanrichie) for so graciously moderating. And thanks to everyone who submitted questions before and during the broadcast.

We’re just getting started. Stay tuned!

Below is a complete list of the questions we asked Lassiter for quick reference.

• How can Charlotte provide low-income housing – and support for its residents – in a way that’s better than the city has done in the past? If no one wants such housing in their back yards, are mixed-price developments the answer?
• Now that the Energy Information Administration’s International Energy Outlook for 2009 shows for the first year that global oil production will fall dramatically, what infrastructure investments can we make to build a city less dependent on oil?
• Would you support adding sexual orientation to the city’s non-discrimination policy, and would you support domestic partner benefits for city employees?
• In the light of budget/funding decreases, what can we do to continue to make progress with “quality of life” improvements around the city such as sidewalks, curbs, parks, greenways, bike lanes, etc.?
• With the future of the light rail in the air, how important is its role in the future of Charlotte’s public transportation?
• How do you see our relationship with Raleigh? What can we do to improve it?
• Given that you voted against the Urban Street Design Guidelines in Oct. 2007 and against the Bicycle Plan in Sept. 2008, do you support improving conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, and if so, how?
• Federal and state governments are adopt new technology to help them become more transparent and to encourage civic involvement. As mayor, what technical tools would you recommend to increase citizen involvement in government?
• On the June 3rd 2010 budget meeting, you were in favor of removing the $8 million street car funding in the 2010 budget. Having been a supporter of transit, is your position now changing, or do you think we need to adjust the 2030 transit plan?
• What will your fiscal priorities be if you take office? Increase/decrease overall spending? In which sectors will you decrease spending?
• Some voters consider you as longtime Mayor Pat McCrory’s hand picked successor. What will you do to differentiate yourself from being McCrory’s 8th term?
• What is the one big thing you would like to accomplish in your first 100 days as mayor?
• Has flooding in Charlotte been a long standing problem, and what should we do to fix it?
• What do you feel about bringing back stoplight photo fines?
• What can we do to bring a medical school to Charlotte?
• How can the city keep local graduates in Charlotte?
• What do you think of a bike-share program in a 10mi radius of the center city?
• Will you raise taxes in your term?

date: Sun, Jun 21
time: 8pm
where: cltblog.com/live

We’ll be streaming live with Republican Mayoral candidate John Lassiter (@lassiterjohn) this coming Sunday, June 21st, at 8pm. The broadcast will take place over on CLT Blog Live.

What questions should we ask him? You can submit and vote on questions here. If you’d like to see the questions submitted for the last online town hall w/ Anthony Foxx, you can see them here. We’ll ask whatever the highest ranked (and appropriate) questions are as decided by the end of the week.

And like our last online town hall, we’ll open the very end of the stream up for impromptu questions from the Twitter community and chat room. So if any questions are raised during the discussion, or if yours never gets asked, there will be an opportunity to find answers.

Nathan Richie (@nathanrichie) will be moderating again. This is our second event in this format. Please join us online this Sunday!

Special thanks to Dave Potts (@dave_potts on Twitter) for manning the camera, and Nathan Richie (@nathanrichie) for so graciously moderating. And thanks to everyone who submitted questions before and during the broadcast.

We look forward to doing more of these soon. Stay tuned!

Below is a complete list of the questions we asked Foxx for quick reference.

• What feedback have you received since the May 12th Eastside Mayoral Forum?
• With the future of the light rail in the air, how importatnt is it to the future of Charlotte’s transportation?
• What can we do to continue to make quality of life improvements including sidewalks, curbs, greenways, bike lanes, etc.?
• What can we do to provide low-income housing and support better than in the past?
• With 5,000+ homeless in Charlotte, how can we have better cooperation between volunteers, charities, and government organizations to assist them?
• If long term road plans require businesses and neighborhoods to turn their backs to Independence Blvd. between Eastway and Sharon Amity, how can the city help these neighborhoods move forward?
• What immediate actions would you take to address transit and land use?
• How can Charlotte continue to prosper amidst the collapse and restructuring of the banking industry?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of an urban growth boundary in Charlotte?
• How do you protect your credibility when you were advised a specific funds transfer was unethical yet you refused to vote it down?
• Would you support domestic partner benefits for city employees?
• As mayor, would you look to add another 1/2 sales tax, raise property taxes, or find ways to cut the budget and lower property taxes?
• After the NCSU Provost resigned over the hiring of Mary Easily, and after the fuss over Samara Foxx’s hiring at DSS, what steps will you take to avoid even the hint of conflict of interest?
• Should we continue with freeway plans that may be destructive to adjacent neighborhoods?
• What do you plan to do to build relationships with nearby cities, towns, and counties?
• What is one issue on which you and your opponent John Lassiter have very different views?
• Do you think CMS should lay off veteran teachers with low standard and replace them with new, young teachers from the Teach for America program?
• What should be done about the 4th Street trolley (Goldrush) line?
• Why do you think you’ll win as Mayor?
• What should we do to help those struggling because of the economic downturn; where is the most need?
• Do you feel committed to bicycle transit as an option for the working poor?

date: Sun, May 17
time: 7pm
where: cltblog.com/live

We’ll streaming live with Democratic Mayoral candidate Anthony Foxx this coming Sunday, May 17th, at 7pm. The broadcast will take place over on CLT Blog Live.

What questions should we ask him? You can submit and vote on questions here. We’ll ask whatever the highest ranked (and appropriate) questions are as decided by the end of the week.

In addition, we’ll open the very end of the stream up for impromptu questions from the Twitter community. So if any questions are raised during the discussion, or if yours never gets asked, there will be an opportunity to find answers.

This is the first such event in this format for us, of which we hope to do many more in the future. Please join us online this Sunday!