Charles DeLoach

Party:

Democrat

Incumbent:

Age:

Previous experience in elected office:

None

Occupation:

Attorney in private practice

Description:

DeLoach's top priorities are childcare, housing and healthcare. He aspires to "invest directly in local daycare options to expand capacity," "cut red tape that slows down affordable housing projects" and "invest in mobile clinics." He said he got involved in civic engagement because he saw people "disengaging because of the divisive nature of our politics." He is endorsed by current District 5 Commissioner Laura Meier as well as two other sitting commissioners.

Other personal:

DeLoach is a fourth-generation North Carolinian. He has a wife, Caroline, and a one year-old daughter, Wren. He has worked on the campaigns of other candidates, and he was the former regional vice chair of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party. He has a bachelor's in Business Marketing from Chapman University and a JD from UNC Chapel Hill.

Candidate Website

The Election Hub Questionnaire

Please share demographic information to help voters (your age, education, and where you live in NC now).

I’m originally from Wilmington, North Carolina. I'm 33 years old, living in South Charlotte near Olde Providence Elementary, with my wife Caroline, my daughter Wren, and a baby boy expected to join our family in early January of 2027! I graduated from Chapman University in 2015 and worked in tech/advertising sales for several years before going to law school. I graduated from UNC School of Law with Honors in 2023.

Why are you running for this role, and why should voters pick you over your competitors? Please tell us about any previous experience in elected office that you have.

One of the main reasons I decided to run is that very few young parents currently hold elected office across North Carolina. Thankfully we have many incredible leaders in Mecklenburg, but raising children in Charlotte in 2026 is a unique experience, and it's a perspective that's missing on County Commission. I hope my experience empowers me to effectively advocate for young families on the County Commission. I have never run for office before, but I've been deeply involved in advocacy work having founded a non-profit to host political dialogues and then serving on the board for the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party.

Tell us about 1-2 professional accomplishments that give voters a sense of your leadership style or skills.

I've always enjoyed having nuanced conversations about issues facing our community, but with our politics being as divided as they are, I've had difficulty finding people willing to engage in such discussions. Soon after graduating from college, I decided I'd entice my friends with some snacks and some wine/beer to get together at my place for a dialogue. I let them vote on the topic, and I researched and summarized it ahead of time. I had ten friends over to talk about how social media was impacting people's mental health, and when the discussion was over, they asked when the next one was. So I began hosting monthly dialogues until they no longer fit in my apartment. I built a team, founded a non-profit, and at its height before the pandemic, we were hosting monthly dialogues in three cities with over 100 attendees each month.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area of concern for many voters (e.g. government-run chatbots; AI-generated videos, text and images; data centers; license-plate readers; AI to hire and evaluate employees or teach students). How should elected officials in your role or others regulate AI, if you believe they should? How should elected officials in your role use AI?

The County Commission will have very limited, if any, regulatory authority over AI, but it will have to make difficult decisions about when, and when not to use it. I feel strongly that AI generated images and videos should be avoided for official government work. We've also seen instances of false identifications by AI utilized with Flock cameras. These mistakes are serious and have led to the traumatic arrests of innocent people. In today's environment, we need more human interaction, not additional sterile replacements, so I also don't believe we should utilize AI teachers. That said, AI still has it's place. County staff is set to take on a massive increase in administrative burden with the Medicaid changes going into effect starting in 2027. If AI can be used to help ease some of the bureaucratic burden so that staff can help people more effectively, I think that should be seriously considered. In short, I believe AI should be used to help with monotonous and time-consuming tasks like data entry, so that we can focus more on the human element of work and get more things done to improve our community.

What endorsements from any notable NC organizations or individuals have you received?

I'm proud to be endorsed by the Charlotte Metrolina Labor Council; Equality NC; Moms Demand Action; Senator Woodson Bradley; Councilwoman Kimberly Owens; Councilman Juan Diego Mazuera-Arias; School Board Member Liz Monterrey Duvall; School Board Member Cynthia Stone; State Senator Caleb Theodros; School Board Member Anna London; County Commissioner Laura Meier; County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez McDowell; State House Rep Laura Budd; and State House Rep Julia Greenfield.

How long have you lived in the region you are looking to represent in office?

I moved to Charlotte full time in 2023 after graduating UNC School of Law. I also lived here for a year before law school from 2019 through 2020 and the summer of 2022.

Please tell us something unexpected about you that voters may be interested in knowing.

I'm a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy novels! Hit me up if you ever want to nerd out about Dungeon Crawler Carl, Red Rising, or anything Brandon Sanderson!