After cruising to easy re-election Tuesday, Mayor Anthony Foxx addresses supporters at the Hotel Sierra in uptown Charlotte. (Photo: Qcitymetro.com)

Democrats continued to consolidate their grip on city politics Tuesday as Mayor Anthony Foxx coasted to easy re-election and Democrats picked up another seat on city council.

Foxx won 67 percent of the vote against Republican Scott Stone, the largest winning margin in a mayoral race since 1999.

In the at-large council race, Democrats swept all four seats, ousting Republican Edwin Peacock and leaving only two Republicans on the 11-member council.

As much as anything, the Democrats’ gains reflect the changing nature of Charlotte demographics, where blacks, Latinos and other ethnic minorities now outnumber whites, according to the 2010 census.

Low turnout also played a role. The Charlotte Observer reports that only 16 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, the lowest turnout since at least 1997. And in some Republican-leaning districts, turnout was especially low.

Fox, in a brief speech to supporters after claiming victory, said his win reconfirmed the confidence that voters placed in him two years ago.

He said goals for his second term would include a push for city-county consolidation, regional transportation and jobs for at-risk youth.

“Over the next two years we have a lot of work ahead of us,” he told supporters at the Hotel Sierra in uptown Charlotte. “This is not easy stuff, but you didn’t put me here to do an easy job.”

Demographic changes have made the city increasingly favorable to Democrats, which outnumber Republicans more than 2-1. The city has more unaffiliated voters than Republicans.

Foxx, 40, is Charlotte's first Democratic mayor since Harvey Gantt. He avoided becoming the first incumbent to lose since Gantt lost to Republican Sue Myrick in 1987.

In a bumpy economy, he touted his efforts to create jobs, reduce crime and extend city help to libraries and school resource officers. His signature accomplishment was luring the Democratic National Convention. It will bring 35,000 visitors and a media spotlight that will fall not only on the city but its mayor.

Stone, 43, was never viewed as a serious threat to the mayor’s re-election plans. He campaigned mainly on platform calling for reducing the size of government, even selling and leasing back assets such as the government center.

Some Republicans had urged him to run for city council instead of for mayor. Others, including a GOP council member, called his proposal to cut $72 million in spending unrealistic.

In the at-large city council races, incumbents Patrick Cannon and David Howard emerged as the top vote getters, but two Democratic newcomers -- Claire Fallon and Beth Pickering – also won seats on the council.

Peacock, who has served since 2007, finished fifth in a nine-person race.

Peacock blamed his loss on low turnout among Republicans.

"We saw this on Thursday with the early voting numbers," Peacock said. "At that point, we realized we were in trouble…. "I think the main thing is we didn't get our message out, about spending, about the headwinds our city is facing."

The Charlotte Observer contributed to this report.

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