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Is Anyone Surprised Charlotte's Democrat Mayor Refused to Do This After Winning Mayoral Primary?

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  September 10, 2025 9:00 AM

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles won Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary amid national attention on the city after the horrific murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a city train by a career criminal. 

The Democrat, who is seeking a fifth term in the mayor’s office, did not hold a watch party and declined to speak to the media after her win. Her social media accounts were also quiet.   

On Monday, President Trump argued Zarutska’s "blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail," though he did not specifically mention Lyles, whose initial response drew widespread backlash for emphasizing the suspect’s mental health issues. She changed her tune on Monday, but it did not sit well with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police.

“Over the past several weeks, as our community has worked to understand this, what we know is that this was a tragic failure by the courts and magistrates,” Lyles said in the statement. “Our police officers arrest people, only to have them quickly released, which undermines our ability to protect our community and ensure safety.

“We need a bipartisan solution to address repeat offenders who do not face consequences for their actions and those who cannot get treatment for their mental illnesses and are allowed to be on the streets,” Lyles added. 

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