By Elizabeth Johnson Charles DeLoach does not fit the caricature of a career politician. He is, first, a South Charlotte father to a one-year-old daughter, Wren, a civil litigation attorney by training, and a fourth-generation North Carolinian who approaches local government with the focus of someone who has taken the time to understand how it functions.

He is also, a member of the current BLG cohort, proudly Jewish and speaks openly about how his connection to the Jewish community informs his sense of responsibility and public service.

His path toward public office began less with ambition than with frustration, watching friends disengage from civic life as public discourse became increasingly polarized. Rather than step back, he stepped forward.

Since launching his campaign for the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners( MBOCC), District 5, DeLoach frames his candidacy as a matter of responsibility. He believes young families deserve a seat at the table where decisions about parks, public health, housing, and schools are made.

The MBOCC may not command daily headlines, yet its work shapes the infrastructure of family life across Mecklenburg County, from public health and education funding to housing and human services.

At the same time, Mecklenburg County consistently ranks among the lowest in the state for voter turnout, and many residents are unaware of when local elections are even taking place.

The DeLoach Family

In that context, DeLoach’ s candidacy raises larger questions about civic participation and generational voice. He spoke with The Charlotte Jewish News about public service, polarization, and what it means to step forward when others step back.

You’ ve described yourself as a young father who felt called to step forward rather than sit on the sidelines. What was the moment when civic engagement shifted from interest to obligation for you? I don’ t think it was a single moment, but more of a progression. After graduating from college back in 2015, the more I spoke with my friends about the political problems facing our country, the more I realized that very few, if any, felt called to engage at all. And frankly, I don’ t blame them.

It was during that period that I came to understand, in a more personal way, the seriousness of the challenges facing this country and the Jewish community. In turn, I began looking to political leaders for hope and guidance.

What I found was that too often our leaders describe problems eloquently but stop short of explaining how to solve them. I wanted to understand the mechanics. What would the policy look like, how would it get passed, and how would it work in practice? I’ ve heard answers like that from some leaders, but not often enough. At a certain point, I realized I needed to be part of making things happen.

The MBOCC may not dominate the news cycle, yet it oversees a $ 2.5 billion budget and many of the services that shape daily life. What do you

think people misunderstand most about the role of county government? I think most people haven’ t even heard of the MBOCC because every state splits local government authority differently. Many states don’ t have county commissions at all, and even within North Carolina, their authority can vary widely. However, virtually every city has a city council or a similar board, which makes them more familiar. Broadly speaking, the city handles the hard infrastructure like streets, trash, and zoning, while the county is responsible for the services that touch families more quietly but just as deeply, from parks to mental health management and supportive care.

You’ ve spent years trying to bridge political divides through cross-perspective conversations. In a moment when local politics can feel as polarized as national politics, what does constructive leadership look like at the county level? I’ m very conscious of the fact that although 19 % of Mecklenburg County voters are registered Republicans, zero members of the MBOCC are Republicans. While we may not share a party, I’ ll be working for these constituents the same way I work for the Democrats, unaffiliated voters, and other residents.

Governing is not about being right; it is about making our community stronger by improving life for everyone. I will make myself available to hear the concerns of any county resident, whether they live in my district or not. That is the responsibility of the office.

As a civil litigation attorney, you work in environments that require precision, negotiation, and discipline. How does your professional training inform the way you approach public service? My legal practice has shown me that leading with civility often opens doors, but you cannot sacrifice resolve in the process. I am often struck by the extent to which some individuals believe they can act without accountability, whether through fraud, client abuse, or other serious misconduct. I try to assume the best in people, but I am not naive. I know how to recognize ulterior motives, and I won’ t allow goodwill to stand in the way of delivering results for Mecklenburg County.

My legal profession has also given me experience with how the law is truly carried out. Statutory protections against nefarious business practices or abuses in the construction space are more than just theory to me.

I’ ve seen how minor disputes over wording or a failure to properly review contracts can lead to

months or even years of court battles that prevent important projects from moving forward. In doing my job as an elected official, most people won’ t notice such issues because I’ ll be preventing them from happening in the first place.

Much of the county’ s work centers on“ soft services” like public health, child welfare, libraries, and parks. These are often the first areas families feel when systems strain. How has becoming a parent sharpened your view of those responsibilities? Being a parent obviously changes one’ s perspective on life. It’ s not that the library wasn’ t important to me before, but watching my oneyear-old’ s eyes light up at a puppet show or seeing her toddle toward the bookshelves and glance back at me has deepened that belief in a way I cannot ignore. Our libraries must be protected.

It’ s not that public health services weren’ t important to me before, but the reports of children who don’ t have access to dental care or basic medicines have taken on new weight. It’ s not that homelessness wasn’ t important to me before, but now I see my daughter in every homeless child looking for a place where they can feel safe. We owe it to the next generation to do better and be better.

You’ re running on issues like child care affordability, Medicaid stability, and housing access. Beyond policy, what do you believe the government owes young families right now? The government owes young families more than it’ s giving. Our policies, broadly speaking, are largely designed to benefit the people who are already successful. My friends are debating whether to even have children because of the cost of child care alone.

It’ s not the government’ s job to solve everyone’ s problems for them, but it is the government’ s job to ensure the system

is designed in such a way that everyone has an equitable opportunity to manage their own problems. People who are doing everything right should not have to ration medications or choose between paying for rent, gas, or groceries. We’ re not facing these problems because“ young people don’ t want to work.” We are confronting these challenges today, in part because earlier policy decisions shaped the landscape we inherited.

The BLG cultivates leaders who think long-term. When you look 10 years ahead, what do you hope your service will have strengthened across Mecklenburg County? I hope we can look back at the current spike in antisemitism as ancient history that we overcame through the power of our community. I hope I’ ll have helped make life just a bit easier for young families by bringing child care costs down. I hope we’ ll have more parks with better resources and that fewer families will struggle to obtain the resources they need.

Help our readers understand the 2026 election timeline. What happens in the primary, and when will voters see your name on the ballot? The 2026 primary elections are underway, with early voting ending on Feb. 28 and Election Day on March 3. I will not appear on the primary ballot because I am unopposed, but I will be on the general election ballot on Nov. 3, 2026. Voters who already have a North Carolina driver’ s license can register online through the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles( DMV) website. Please get out and vote!

Charles is hosting a series of small, informal roundtable conversations where residents can raise questions and concerns in an open setting. To learn more, reach out to him at charles @ charlesdeloach. com.