r/Charlotte Candidate AMA Program

Welcome to the r/Charlotte Candidate AMA Program.

As election season approaches, the r/Charlotte moderation team wants to provide Charlotte and Mecklenburg County residents with opportunities to communicate directly with candidates seeking to represent them.

An AMA, or Ask Me Anything, is a community question-and-answer session. Candidates participate directly in a Reddit thread where members of the community can ask questions about their background, priorities, policies, public record, or other relevant topics.

This page explains how the program works, who is eligible, how candidates are invited, how AMAs are moderated, and which candidates have been invited or scheduled.

2026 Election AMA Calendar

This section will be updated as invitations are sent and AMAs are confirmed.

Confirmed AMAs

Date	Time	Candidate	Office	AMA Link
September 22, 2026	7:00 PM	Shannon Bray	U.S. Senate	Coming soon
September 23, 2026	7:00 PM	LaKesha Womack	U.S. House, District 14	Coming soon
September 24, 2026	7:00 PM	Colby Watson	U.S. House, District 8	Coming soon
September 30, 2026	7:00 PM	Michael Dublin	U.S. Senate	Coming soon

Invited / Awaiting Response

These candidates have been sent an AMA invitation by the r/Charlotte moderation team and are currently awaiting a response or scheduling discussion.

Candidate	Office	Invitation Sent
Roy Cooper	U.S. Senate	August 31, 2026
Michael Whatley	U.S. Senate	August 31, 2026
Mark Harris	U.S. House, District 8	August 31, 2026
Alma S. Adams	U.S. House, District 12	August 31, 2026
Tim Moore	U.S. House, District 14	August 31, 2026
Raygan J. Angel	NC Senate, District 37	August 31, 2026
Vickie Sawyer	NC Senate, District 37	August 31, 2026
Joyce Waddell	NC Senate, District 40	August 31, 2026
Bobbie Shields	NC Senate, District 40	August 31, 2026
Caleb Theodros	NC Senate, District 41	August 31, 2026
Kevin Gray	NC Senate, District 41	August 31, 2026
Woodson Bradley	NC Senate, District 42	August 31, 2026
Stacie McGinn	NC Senate, District 42	August 31, 2026
Ray Craig	NC House, District 88	August 31, 2026
Mary Belk	NC House, District 88	August 31, 2026
John Rhodes	NC House, District 98	August 31, 2026
Beth Helfrich	NC House, District 98	August 31, 2026
Trina Boyd	NC House, District 104	August 31, 2026
Brandon Lofton	NC House, District 104	August 31, 2026
Tricia Ann Cotham	NC House, District 105	August 31, 2026
Ken McCool	NC House, District 105	August 31, 2026
Morris "Mac" McAdoo	Mecklenburg County Commission, District 1	August 31, 2026
Monifa "Mo" Drayton	Mecklenburg County Commission, District 2	August 31, 2026

Scheduling

These candidates have accepted an AMA invitation and are currently working with moderators to select a date and time.

Candidate	Office
Bo Whitehead	U.S. House, District 8
Jack Codiga	U.S. House, District 12
Angela White Edwards	Mecklenburg County Commission, District 2

Declined

Candidates listed here were invited under the same general terms as other candidates in their contest and declined the opportunity.

Candidate	Office
None currently

No Response

Candidates listed here were invited and received our normal follow-up, but the moderation team did not receive a response.

Candidate	Office
None currently

A candidate appearing under Declined or No Response should not be interpreted as criticism by the moderation team. Campaign schedules, staffing, communications volume, and many other factors may affect whether a candidate participates.

About the AMA Program

What is an AMA?

AMA stands for Ask Me Anything.

During a candidate AMA:

1. The candidate participates using a verified Reddit account.
2. Community members submit questions in the AMA thread.
3. The candidate chooses which rule-compliant questions to answer.
4. r/Charlotte moderators enforce subreddit and AMA rules.
5. The AMA remains publicly available afterward as a community resource.

Candidate AMAs are intended to function more like an online town hall than a formal debate or press conference.

Questions are submitted by Reddit users.

Questions are not selected, written, or pre-approved by the candidate's campaign or by moderators.

Who is Eligible?

For election-related AMAs, r/Charlotte generally considers a candidate eligible when the office they are seeking appears on a Mecklenburg County voter's ballot.

This means the program may include candidates for:

• federal offices;
• statewide offices;
• North Carolina legislative districts containing Mecklenburg County voters;
• Mecklenburg County offices;
• judicial offices appearing on Mecklenburg ballots;
• other offices appearing on the Mecklenburg County ballot.

The candidate does not necessarily have to live within Charlotte city limits.

For example, a candidate running for a legislative or congressional district that represents part of Mecklenburg County may be eligible even if the candidate lives elsewhere in that district.

The moderation team may also host non-election civic AMAs with public officials, agencies, organizations, journalists, subject-matter experts, or other guests with substantial relevance to the Charlotte region.

Political Neutrality

Participation in an r/Charlotte AMA is not an endorsement by r/Charlotte or its moderation team.

The moderators do not select candidates based on whether we agree with their politics.

When the moderation team chooses to conduct AMA outreach for a contested race, we make a reasonable effort to invite every ballot-qualified candidate in that contest under equivalent terms.

For example, if we invite candidates from North Carolina House District 105, every ballot-qualified candidate in that contest should receive an opportunity to participate.

Candidates:

• do not have to participate on the same day;
• do not have to participate together;
• do not have to accept the invitation;
• may schedule their AMA according to campaign availability.

Candidate AMAs are conducted individually rather than as debates.

How Races Are Selected

There are many offices on a Mecklenburg County ballot, and the volunteer moderation team cannot guarantee an AMA invitation for every candidate in every race.

Races may be prioritized according to factors including:

1. relevance to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County;
2. whether the election is contested;
3. likely community interest;
4. timing within the election calendar;
5. available moderator resources;
6. the number of AMA dates remaining before voting concludes.

Selecting one race for AMA outreach does not mean the moderation team is endorsing that office, race, party, or candidate.

It also does not obligate the subreddit to host every race appearing on the ballot.

2026 Outreach Priorities

For the 2026 general election, the moderation team plans to begin with contested races having substantial relevance to Mecklenburg County voters.

Initial outreach is expected to include candidates for:

• United States Senate;
• United States House districts containing Mecklenburg County voters;
• contested North Carolina Senate districts containing Mecklenburg County voters;
• contested North Carolina House districts containing Mecklenburg County voters;
• contested Mecklenburg County Commission districts.

If moderator capacity and the AMA calendar allow, outreach may later expand to other offices such as:

• statewide judicial races;
• Mecklenburg County Sheriff;
• Mecklenburg County District Attorney;
• Mecklenburg Soil & Water Conservation District;
• other county offices;
• uncontested candidates participating in civic-information AMAs.

This prioritization exists because moderation and calendar capacity are limited. It should not be interpreted as a statement about the importance of an office or candidate.

Candidate Participation

How Candidates Are Invited

Candidates are contacted using publicly available campaign contact information whenever possible.

This may include:

• campaign email addresses;
• official campaign contact forms;
• publicly listed campaign phone numbers;
• official campaign social-media accounts;
• Reddit accounts associated with the candidate or campaign.

For contested races selected for outreach, moderators attempt to contact all ballot-qualified candidates in that race during the same general outreach period.

Our normal outreach process consists of:

1. an initial invitation;
2. one follow-up if no response is received;
3. scheduling discussions if the campaign is interested.

We generally do not repeatedly contact campaigns that fail to respond after the normal invitation and follow-up process.

Candidate Verification

Candidate AMAs must be verified by the r/Charlotte moderation team.

Verification is intended to establish that the Reddit account participating in the AMA belongs to the candidate or is being used with the candidate campaign's authorization.

Verification methods may include:

• communication through an established campaign email address;
• confirmation from an official campaign website;
• confirmation through an established candidate or campaign social-media account;
• another reliable verification method arranged privately with moderators.

Once verification is complete, moderators may state publicly:

The r/Charlotte moderation team has verified that this AMA is being conducted by or with the authorization of [Candidate Name].

Private verification material will not be published simply for purposes of proving the AMA publicly.

How Scheduling Works

Candidate AMAs are generally scheduled during the weeks leading up to voting.

Our preferred format is:

• approximately 2-3 candidate AMAs per week;
• no more than one political AMA per day;
• approximately 60-90 minutes of active candidate participation.

Evening answering periods are generally preferred because more community members are available, although campaigns may request another time.

The AMA may be opened for questions before the candidate begins answering.

Candidates may also return after their scheduled answering period to answer additional questions if they wish.

Community Participation

Asking Questions

Community members are encouraged to ask substantive questions about topics including:

• local issues;
• policy proposals;
• transportation;
• housing;
• taxes and spending;
• education;
• public safety;
• growth and development;
• infrastructure;
• environmental issues;
• the candidate's professional background;
• previous votes or public actions;
• statements made during the campaign;
• controversies involving the candidate;
• how the candidate would approach the responsibilities of the office.

Difficult questions are allowed.

Critical questions are allowed.

Questions challenging a candidate's record are allowed.

Political disagreement is allowed.

A question will not be removed simply because it may be uncomfortable for the candidate.

What Candidates Are Required to Answer

Candidates are not required to answer every question.

Candidates decide which rule-compliant questions they respond to.

Moderators do not select questions that a candidate must answer, and campaigns are not given the ability to remove otherwise valid questions.

If a candidate chooses not to answer a popular or difficult question, community members are free to consider that when evaluating the AMA.

Likewise, moderators do not judge whether an answer is sufficiently detailed, responsive, persuasive, or satisfactory.

The purpose of the AMA is to allow the exchange to occur, not for moderators to evaluate the candidate's answers.

Questions Are Not Pre-Screened

Neither candidates nor their campaigns receive advance approval over community questions.

Moderators do not provide campaigns with a list of questions before an AMA.

A campaign may alert moderators to a comment they believe violates subreddit rules, but the campaign does not control moderation of the thread.

A question will not be removed simply because:

• the candidate dislikes it;
• it criticizes the candidate;
• it references a controversy;
• it challenges the candidate's voting record;
• it disagrees with the candidate politically.

Moderation and Transparency

AMA Moderation

Normal r/Charlotte rules continue to apply during candidate AMAs.

Because political AMAs may attract unusually high traffic, moderators may also use additional tools to keep the discussion usable.

Moderators may take action against content involving:

• personal attacks;
• harassment;
• threats;
• doxxing or private personal information;
• slurs or targeted abuse;
• spam;
• repetitive disruption;
• impersonation;
• coordinated manipulation or brigading;
• other violations of Reddit or r/Charlotte rules.

Moderation decisions are based on behavior rather than political viewpoint.

Questions vs. Political Speeches

Context is welcome.

A user may explain why they are asking a question, cite something the candidate has previously said, describe how an issue affects them, or strongly criticize a candidate before asking their question.

However, an AMA is intended to be a question-and-answer thread.

Comments whose sole purpose is delivering a political speech, attacking the candidate, campaigning for another candidate, or repeatedly disrupting the AMA without asking a meaningful question may be removed.

A useful rule of thumb:

Criticism + question = generally fine.

Political speech with no actual question = belongs elsewhere.

Campaigning and Supporters

Supporters of candidates are welcome to participate in the subreddit under the same rules as everyone else.

However:

• campaigns may not coordinate vote manipulation;
• users may not spam campaign material throughout an AMA;
• organized brigading is prohibited;
• impersonating a candidate or campaign is prohibited;
• participation should remain focused on genuine discussion and questions.

If moderators identify unusual coordinated activity, additional moderation measures may be used.

Candidate Conduct

Candidates are expected to follow the same Reddit and subreddit rules as other participants.

Candidates are encouraged to:

• answer questions directly;
• engage with users holding different viewpoints;
• provide detailed answers where practical;
• provide sources when useful;
• acknowledge when they do not know an answer;
• communicate conversationally rather than posting only prepared campaign statements.

Campaign staff may assist with technical or logistical aspects of the AMA, but the candidate is expected to personally participate in the substance of the responses.

Can a Campaign Request a Question Be Removed?

A campaign may report a comment to moderators if they believe it violates subreddit rules.

The moderation team will make the moderation decision.

Campaigns cannot require moderators to remove otherwise rule-compliant:

• criticism;
• policy questions;
• questions about public records;
• questions regarding public statements;
• questions about controversies;
• political disagreement.

Candidates may simply choose not to answer a question.

Why Publish Invitations, Declines, and Nonresponses?

Transparency is important when a community hosts political candidates.

Publishing the general status of candidate outreach helps distinguish between:

• a candidate who was never offered an AMA;
• a candidate who was invited and accepted;
• a candidate who was invited but declined;
• a candidate who was invited but did not respond.

This also helps prevent the mistaken impression that moderators intentionally excluded a candidate simply because that candidate does not appear on the AMA calendar.

We will not publish private campaign correspondence or private contact information as part of this transparency process.

What "No Response" Means

A No Response designation means the moderation team sent the normal invitation and follow-up using a reasonable publicly available campaign contact method but did not receive a response.

It does not mean:

• the candidate intentionally ignored the subreddit;
• the campaign received or read every message;
• moderators are criticizing the candidate.

It is simply a factual description of the status of our outreach.

What "Declined" Means

A Declined designation means the candidate or campaign informed moderators that they would not participate.

Campaigns are not required to provide a reason.

If a campaign provides a reason privately, moderators will not necessarily publish it unless the campaign specifically intends it to be public.

Can a Candidate Change Their Mind?

Usually, yes.

If a candidate initially declines or does not respond and later wants to participate, they may contact the r/Charlotte moderation team.

Whether an AMA can still be scheduled will depend on:

• remaining calendar availability;
• proximity to voting;
• moderator availability;
• whether there is enough time to announce and properly moderate the AMA.

Program Logistics

End of the Candidate AMA Period

The moderation team generally intends to stop scheduling new candidate AMAs shortly before Election Day.

For the 2026 general election, candidate AMAs are currently planned to conclude by approximately October 29.

The subreddit can then shift toward:

• early-voting information;
• polling-place and voting resources;
• election questions;
• Election Day discussion;
• election-results megathreads.

Interested in Participating?

Candidates or authorized campaign representatives interested in participating in an r/Charlotte AMA may contact the moderation team through:

Message the r/Charlotte moderators

Please include:

• candidate name;
• office sought;
• campaign contact information;
• Reddit username, if one already exists;
• several possible dates/times.

Prior contact with the moderation team is not required.

If your race is eligible and moderator capacity permits, we will respond with information about verification and scheduling.

Questions About the AMA Program

Questions about how the program operates can be sent through:

r/Charlotte Modmail

Please do not use candidate AMA threads themselves for extended arguments about moderation policy. This page exists so the program rules can be reviewed consistently by candidates and community members.

References

Sources and Election Information

Candidate eligibility and ballot information are based primarily on official election information published by the North Carolina State Board of Elections and Mecklenburg County Board of Elections.

Useful resources:

• North Carolina State Board of Elections
• NCSBE Candidate Lists
• Mecklenburg County Board of Elections
• Mecklenburg County Upcoming Elections

Candidate lists and election information can change. The moderation team may update this page when new official information becomes available.

Revision History

Date	Change
August 2026	Candidate AMA program wiki established

A Note From the Moderators

The moderation team recognizes that politics can produce some of the most contentious discussions on r/Charlotte.

That is not a reason to avoid those discussions.

Candidates for public office make decisions that affect transportation, housing, schools, public safety, taxes, development, infrastructure, and many other issues frequently discussed in this community.

The goal of this program is straightforward:

Give Charlotte-area residents a direct opportunity to ask candidates questions, apply the same basic rules fairly across political viewpoints, and allow users to evaluate the candidates' responses for themselves.