Who Will Lead the Mecklenburg County Democrats? Part 1: Braxton Becoats

Mecklenburg County Democrats elect a new chair this weekend.

Apr 19, 2023

This weekend, Mecklenburg County Democrats will assemble at their annual county convention to elect a new chair for the 2024 election cycle. Hundreds of delegates elected from the county’s 195 precincts will choose a new leader for the first time since Donald Trump was president; Jane Whitley is not running for reelection after multiple terms as chair.

In a city like Charlotte where Democrats dominate local government, the county party is often a non-issue in local election. Democrats are going to win a supermajority of the city council seats and the Mayor’s office regardless of how well the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party (MCDP) is organized.

However, as Y’all Weekly has discussed in the past, Mecklenburg County is punching below its weight in statewide elections. Because voter turnout in the county lags behind both Wake County (Raleigh) and the statewide average, Democratic candidates don’t get as large of a boost from Charlotte as they hypothetically could. A competent, well-funded, well-organized county party could make the difference in elections for the U.S. Senate, Governor, and President of the United States (North Carolina has 16 electoral votes as of the last census).

So this week we’re looking at the people who want to lead MCDP into – say it with us – the most important election of our lifetimes.

Both announced candidates, Braxton Becoats and Drew Kromer, are Young Democrats who would be the youngest county party chair in the past three decades, and they’d work closely with newly elected North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton, also a Young Democrat. Kromer & Becoats are both involved in local Democratic Party organizations, but don’t have the national or federal campaign experience of Clayton, whose previous employers include the campaigns of Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Becoats turned in his questionnaire first, so he’ll be the focus of Part 1. Additionally, if any new candidates enter the race before Saturday’s vote, we’ll send them the same short survey.

Braxton Becoats

Name: Braxton G. Becoats
Age: 28
Website: braxtonbecoats.com

Bio (from website): Braxton G. Becoats, who holds a Bachelors of Arts in History from Morehouse College, serves as a Middle Grades Social Studies Teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina. Born on March 1, 1995 to the late Yvonne Cecilia Queen-Becoats and Eric J. Becoats, Becoats has lived in Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham, and Atlanta.

Becoats believes that community service is vital. This service began as a child and has continued. Becoats began his community service as a member of the Durham Youth Commission. During his first year on the commission, Becoats served as the Government Relations Officer and acted as the liaison between the Youth Commission and the Durham City Council.

At Morehouse College, Becoats was an active participant in, and advocate for, campus affairs. He has held various leadership roles on campus.

Since leaving Morehouse, Becoats has remained a community advocate and servant in Charlotte, N.C. Becoats serves in numerous civic, political, and leadership organizations such as the African-American Caucus of the MCDP, the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators. Additionally, Becoats serves on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee.

Becoats is a devoted leader, passionate friend, and proud Democrat. He looks forward to the opportunity to continue serving his community in a greater way.

Candidate Questionnaire

Editor’s Note: Questions were provided via email to both Becoats and Kromer. No edits were made to Becoats’ responses.

Y’all Weekly: What is the biggest challenge facing Mecklenburg County?

Braxton Becoats: The biggest challenge facing Mecklenburg County right now is voter turnout. For North Carolina to continue being a competitive state, voters in Mecklenburg County have to show up at the polls. According to the data, our voters in Mecklenburg County have not met the mark. As a result, state election results were not the best. As a Party, we must work diligently to address the voter turnout issue by educating Democrats on upcoming elections and the candidates on the ballot.

YW: Turnout in Mecklenburg lags behind both Wake County and the state average. What can a county party actually do to increase turnout? Should turnout be the county party's top priority?

BB: Yes, turnout should be the county party's top priority. In order to increase turnout, the county party should host voter registration drives and seminars to educate voters on the upcoming elections. Additionally, the county party should help candidates be intentional about outreach and connecting to the constituents in order to address their concerns.

YW: Do you have any experience working on statewide or federal political campaigns? If not, what experience makes you qualified to run MCDP?

BB: Yes, I have worked on statewide political campaigns. Specifically, I have worked with the Georgia House Democratic Caucus to ensure that Democratic state representatives were elected and re-elected such as Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams. While working with the Caucus, I participated in activities such as phone banking, canvassing, and event production. Additionally, I am qualified to serve as the MCDP Chair because I have held leadership positions as the President of the African-American Caucus of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party and as a member of the North Carolina Democratic Party's State Executive Committee. All of these positions have prepared me to serve as the next Chair of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party helping me learn the necessary skill sets to effectively organize a county party.

YW: Other than a minor traffic violation, have you ever been convicted of a crime in a court of law? Have you ever been formally reprimanded or suspended by an academic institution?

BB: No.

YW: If you're successful as chair, where is MCDP in 2 years?

BB: If I am successful as chair, the MCDP will be a more visible party in Mecklenburg County that is collaborative and innovative in our approach. In terms of voter turnout, the party will have reached a 65% turnout rate. Additionally, the party will have advocated for specific policies that are aligned with our party's platform and candidates. Finally, the county party will have hired a dynamic and highly qualified Executive Director to help operationalize our MCDP so that we become an efficient, functional and effective county party.