Drew Kromer, a 26-year-old Charlotte lawyer, was elected Saturday to lead the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party, gaining 78% of the vote at the local party’s 2023 Convention.
Kromer replaced Jane Whitley, the former chair, who did not seek re-election.
In a statement Monday, Mecklenburg Democrats said Kromer’s election signaled “an emerging trend of young Democrats ascending to lead the party in North Carolina.”
The party convention, held virtually, drew more than 400 participants, including 347 voting delegates from the county’s 195 precincts.
Kromer’s election comes as Mecklenburg Democrats have solidified their hold on local government. On Charlotte City Council, Democrats hold nine of 11 seats, plus the mayor’s office. On the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, all nine members are Democrats.
As chair, Kromer’s challenge will be to increase the party’s turnout for statewide races. In 2022, 44% of Mecklenburg’s registered Democrats turned out to vote, lagging the statewide average of 50.5%.
Kromer graduated from Davidson College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While in college, he was chair of Precinct 206 in the town of Davidson. He later received his law degree from the University of North Carolina. He now practices employment law in Charlotte.