MEET JAMES:

James “Smuggie” Mitchell is a Charlotte native. James is a proud graduate of West Charlotte High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from North Carolina Central University. James is happily married to former NASA astronaut Joan Higginbotham and the proud Father of two Blessings, daughters Kayla and Nicole Mitchell. Mitchell currently serves as Director of Business Development at McFarland Construction. 

 

Mitchell served on the Charlotte City Council representing District 2 from 1999 to 2013. First elected at-large in 2015, Mitchell won a second term in the general election on November 7, 2017. Mitchell ran for re-election for an at-large seat of the Charlotte City Council in North Carolina. Mitchell won in the general election on November 5, 2019.

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Mitchell has always been a servant leader, after a brief absence from public office he decided there is more work to do in Charlotte. It is because of that love of service that Mitchell filed to run and won an at-large seat in the 2022 elections.

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AFFILLIATIONS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Board of Trustee North Carolina Central University

• Focus on Leadership Graduate

• Leadership Charlotte Graduate

• Harvard - John F. Kennedy School of Government

• North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership Graduate

• Founder of Next Level Leadership program.

• Mitchell has served as president of the National League of Cities. 

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