Nooze Hounds: Braxton Winston Seeks Statewide Office

On episode 94 of the Nooze Hounds podcast, I speak to former Charlotte City Council at-large rep and Mayor Pro-Tem Braxton Winston, who is currently running for North Carolina Commissioner of Labor.

Winston was elected to Charlotte City Council in 2017 and served until 2023. On the podcast, we discuss his reasons for leaving and seeking statewide office, as well as his work as a union stagehand and grip that inspired him to run for the top spot at the NC Department of Labor.

You may have also seen him at Hornets games, where he has worked as a camera operator for the last 20 years — beginning with the WNBA’s Sting franchise in 2004 before joining on with the Bobcats’ inaugural season later that year.

Before discussing his current campaign, we go into depth about the experience that sent him on a new path in life: the 2016 killing of Keith Lamont Scott by CMPD.

Read More: Activists Recall the Lasting Impact of Keith Lamont Scott

During our discussion, Winston and I recall the day that Scott was shot and killed and what we saw at the scene as day turned to night and protests took on a different feel from those that followed the killing of Jonathan Ferrell in 2013 and the mistrial of the CMPD officer who killed him in 2015.

We also discuss Winston’s time on Charlotte City Council, which he entered with a slate of fellow millennial candidates including Tariq Bokhari, Larken Egleston, Matt Newton and Justin Harlow. 

Winston remains engaged with what’s happening on council, especially in regards to housing, and we talk about efforts to reshape the Unified Development Ordinance and 2040 Comprehensive Plan that he worked hard to push through. 

Remember you can catch us on Spotify and other places where you find podcasts, and be sure to check out Queen City Podcast Network for a slew of other great Charlotte podcasts that aren’t quite as good as ours but pretty damn close. Find past Nooze Hounds episodes here.