Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles announced Monday that she plans to seek re-election this fall, a victory that would give her a fourth term atop the city’s government.

“As mayor, I am so proud of what we have accomplished by working together,” she said in a video message via her public relations team. “Let’s finish what we started.”

 Lyles was first elected mayor in November 2017, the first Black woman to hold that title.

During her time as mayor, Lyles helped spearhead a $250 million Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative to address racial disparities in the city. 

Prior to becoming Mayor, Lyles served two consecutive terms in an at-large seat on the Charlotte City Council, including as Mayor Pro Tem in 2015. 

She previously worked in the city of Charlotte’s budget department, becoming the city’s budget director and later the assistant city manager before retiring. Lyles is the city’s first public administrator to serve as mayor.

Lyles won her first mayoral race with 59% of the vote. She was reelected in 2019 with 77% , and then again in 2022 with 88%.

The city will have back-to-back city elections in 2022 and 2023 because of delays caused by the 2020 Census.

Official filing for candidacy with the Mecklenburg Board of Elections starts July 7, and the primary election is Sept. 12. So far, no other candidate has announced plans to challenge Lyles.