Attorney Charles DeLoach, 33, will join the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners representing District 5, the south Mecklenburg seat that covers the Ballantyne area, as first reported by WFAE.

DeLoach, a Democrat and civil litigation attorney, announced his campaign Nov. 19, 2025. That same day, incumbent Commissioner Laura Meier said she would not seek re-election. Meier endorsed DeLoach several days later, and no other candidate filed for the seat, WFAE reported. The board's current youngest member is Commissioner Leigh Altman, at 54.

DeLoach, the father of a one-year-old daughter with a son on the way, told WFAE the board has "a bit of a blind spot" because no sitting commissioner knows what it's like to raise young children in 2026.

His platform centers on three priorities: affordable housing, childcare and healthcare.

On housing, he proposes cutting regulatory barriers to speed construction, requiring affordable units in county-funded projects and planning new housing around transit access. The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance estimates the region gains about 135 people per day.

On childcare, DeLoach cited a 2025 North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation report putting average infant care in Mecklenburg County at about $1,200 per month. He wants to direct existing county subsidies to centers so they can expand capacity and cap tuition. He pointed to MECK Pre-K, the county-funded program offering free pre-kindergarten to all Mecklenburg four-year-olds, as a model that should extend to younger children.

On healthcare, DeLoach flagged federal Medicaid changes taking effect in early 2027. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, requires expansion enrollees to meet an 80-hour monthly work requirement starting Jan. 1, 2027, and redetermine eligibility every six months instead of annually. DeLoach told WFAE he plans county outreach at street fairs and community events so residents learn about the new rules before they take effect.

Before entering politics, DeLoach grew up in Wilmington, N.C., attended college in California and went to Elon Law School and UNC Law School. He settled in Charlotte in 2023 and co-founded CLT Engage, an Indivisible Charlotte-affiliated group.

Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 15. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.