LincolntonNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Lincolnton Mayor & City Council Election 2026

2 of 4 council seats are on the ballot, with 7 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Early voting ends (Oct 31): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters citywide choose one mayor and two council members. Council candidates must live in the ward they seek, but all city voters vote on every contest.

Early voting ends · Oct 31

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • U.S. Senate
    • Michael Dublin · Green
    • Roy Cooper · Democratic
    • Shannon W. Bray · Libertarian
    • Michael Whatley · Republican
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • Also statewideNC Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 01 · NC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 01 · NC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 02 · NC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 03
  • U.S. HouseDistrict 10
  • NC State SenateDistrict 44
  • NC House of RepresentativesDistrict 97
  • Statewide measures3 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01Data centers4 sourced facts

Where it standsCouncil approved a moratorium on data center applications to Jan. 1, 2027, with planning staff expected to bring a text amendment after the first of the year.

What's on the tableThe next council will vote on rules for data centers and on whether to extend the moratorium.

  • At its Sept. 3 meeting Council approved a motion to extend the moratorium to Jan. 1, 2027, which could be extended further if no text amendment is ready. Lincoln Times News
  • The city planning board recommended a one-year moratorium on a 3-2 vote. Lincoln Times News
  • The city's Unified Development Ordinance does not define data centers, which planning staff called a regulatory gap. Lincoln Times News
  • A land use attorney said a proposed $600 million data center at 232 Car Farm Road would bring about $2.2 million in tax revenue to the city. Lincoln Times News
02City budget and sales tax4 sourced facts

Where it standsCouncil adopted the $36.7 million 2026-27 budget at an unchanged 50-cent property tax rate; a county change to sales tax distribution is expected in 2027-28.

What's on the tableThe next council will set the 2027-28 budget and tax rate and decide how to respond to the county's sales tax formula change.

  • Council voted unanimously on June 25 to approve the $36.7 million budget for fiscal year 2026-27. Lincoln Times News
  • The property tax rate is unchanged from the current year at 50 cents per $100 of valuation. Lincoln Times News
  • The city manager has said the city could lose more than $2 million in general fund revenue if the county commissioners approve the sales tax formula change. Lincoln Times News
  • The county's change would move sales tax distribution from a per capita to an ad valorem formula. Lincoln Times News
03Townhouses and rezoning3 sourced facts

Where it standsCouncil approved a conditional rezoning for 24 townhouses on Georgetown Road in April 2026 over neighbors' concerns.

What's on the tableThe next council will vote on rezonings for townhouse and other multi-family projects.

  • The Georgetown Road rezoning covers a 3.969-acre tract, from R-8 to Residential Multi-Family Conditional District. Lincoln Times News
  • The planning board voted 6-1 in favor of the rezoning. Lincoln Times News
  • Nearby residents raised concerns about traffic congestion, erosion and water runoff at the public hearing. Lincoln Times News
04Police and social services2 sourced facts

Where it standsLincolnton Police Department has a social worker through a state Community Care program, and the 2026-27 budget funds 170 full-time city positions.

What's on the tableThe next council will fund police and fire staffing and decide whether to keep supporting the police social worker program.

3 notes on these statements

Mayor Ed Hatley, first elected in 2014, has said he will not seek another term. Lincoln Times News

Jill Tipton, now a council member, is running for mayor after serving one term on the council. Lincoln Times News

Kevin Demeny, Mark Johnson and Jill Tipton voted yes on the April 2026 Georgetown Road rezoning, and Roby Jetton voted no. Lincoln Times News

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should Lincolnton pause data center applications while it writes rules?

  2. 2. How should council treat requests to rezone land for townhouses?

  3. 3. Which way should Lincolnton's city spending go?

  4. 4. How should Lincolnton respond to the county's sales tax formula change?

  5. 5. Should the city back a social worker who works with the police department?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted3 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Lincolnton is runWho runs Lincolnton, and what it costsWho the city manager is, council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.

Key dates

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Roby Jetton, Mark Johnson2 on this ballot

4 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

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