MEET BRAXTON
Braxton Winston II is a father, union member, and previously served as an At-Large member and Mayor Pro Tem of Charlotte City Council until December 2023 where he learned that communities thrive when their workforces thrive.
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He was the Democratic Nominee for North Carolina's Commissioner of Labor in 2024 to make North Carolina the number one state for business and workers. He received 47.25% of the vote.
Growing Up
Braxton was born in Camp Lejeune, NC, where his father was stationed in the United States Marine Corps. His mother was a public school math teacher. After his father’s retirement from military service, the family relocated to Brooklyn, NY. As the child of a Marine and a teacher, the importance of education, public service, and a solid work ethic were ingrained in Braxton at an early age.
Education
He flourished academically in the New York City public school system and was enrolled in the demanding PREP 9 program. Braxton thrived at Phillips Academy Andover where he excelled in academics, arts, sports, and student government. At Davidson College he earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and was a two-time letterman on the football team.
Work
Braxton is a union stagehand and grip and a member of our region’s robust sports television and entertainment production community. He takes immense pride in being a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Union. He is also the Charlotte Liason, college counselor and Humanities instructor for the Delaware College Scholars Program. He sits on several boards and committees including My Brother’s Keeper Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the Board of Trustees of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Smart Start of Mecklenburg County and Habitat for Humanity's Charlotte Neighborhood Revitalization Committee.
CITY COUNCIL
Braxton Winston II served as an At-Large member and Mayor Pro Tem of Charlotte City Council until December 2023 with a goal of developing a city that is more equitable, accessible, and interconnected. He was first elected in 2017 and re-elected twice.
PRESIDENT OF NC AFL-CIO
Convention delegates elected Braxton Winston II, member of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 322, as the next leader of the largest federation of labor unions in the state at the Labor Federation’s 68th Annual Convention on September 12, 2025.
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“For too long working people in North Carolina and across the South have been told to work harder and accept less,” said President Winston. “But we are here to declare something different – that every worker deserves dignity, security, and power. Every worker deserves a union! … We are no longer waiting for change. We are the change. We are the revival!”
