Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott said Tuesday she will not seek a second term in office.
Elliott sat down Tuesday afternoon with WIZS News and The Dispatch to provide an update on a lawsuit filed in fall of 2025 that claimed she wrongly received money for sale of a property on Charles Street.
That lawsuit has been dismissed, Elliott said.
She said the allegations brought in the lawsuit have had a negative effect on her nonprofit Gang Free, Inc., her personal life and her recent bid for the N.C. House District 32 seat. She lost in the March 2026 Democratic primary to Curtis McRae.
The lawsuit “ripped my nonprofit up,” she said, and she described the media over the past 2 or 2 ½ years as “egregious.”
One purpose of the meeting was to share a written statement she prepared concerning the disposition of the lawsuit, but Elliott took the opportunity to announce her decision not to seek re-election.
Following is an excerpt from Elliott’s prepared statement regarding the lawsuit:
From the very beginning, I maintained that the allegations were without merit, and this outcome affirms that truth.
However, while the case may be dismissed, the impact of false and public allegations does not simply disappear. These claims cause real harm – to my reputation, to the mission of Gang Free Inc., and to the trust that we have worked so hard to build in this community. For those who serve, especially through nonprofit work, credibility is everything- and when that is attacked without cause, the damage can be significant.
I also want to be honest about the personal toll. This has been an emotionally draining experience – marked by stress, sleepless nights, and moments that no public servant should have to endure while simply trying to do the work of serving others.
That is why it is so important that the truth receives the same visibility as the accusations once did.
Despite it all, I stand firm. I remain committed to leading with integrity, serving with purpose, and continuing the work that matters most – supporting our families, uplifting our youth and strengthening our community.
Elliott said the house at 431 Charles St. was given to her personally and she later put it in the name of Gang Free, Inc. with hopes for it to become a men’s shelter. The nonprofit deeded it back to her at a later date and she then sold it.
Gang Free, Inc. subsisted on small grants for the first 10 years or so of its existence, Elliott said, $5,000 here, $3,000 there.
“The real money came during the pandemic,” she explained, when the nonprofit had 23 community workers on the ground providing services through contracts with the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services and Cure Americas.
“Prior to that, it was in-kind donations,” Elliott said.
Although she was adamant about not running for mayor again, she didn’t slam the door on a possible bid for City Council in the future.
In a follow-up question from WIZS Wednesday, Elliott, who resides in Ward 3, reiterated that she would not run against Ward 3 Council Member Michael Venable “because he is doing a fine job and I would never run against Garry (Daeke) either.” Daeke is the Ward 3 at-large Council member.
“I’m not going to run (for mayor). I think 12 years is enough to surrender your life to the public.”
She said she made her decision after much prayer and consideration; not from any outside pressures, but “because of the trauma that I’ve endured in the last 3 ½ years.” She said she needs to be “healthy mentally” to be able to care for her family, especially her mother and her young grandchild.
Elliott said the believes the current Council wants “to serve the community in our capacity, whatever that capacity is. I think the board has a great skill set. We all bring something different to the table and it mixes well for our community.”
If that were the focus instead of “personalities or personal vendettas, we could be a great, great, great board,” Elliott said.
She said politics in small towns like Henderson require an elected official to have allies and support. Elliott said she ran for mayor to be a visionary and to create initiatives.
“I’m a connector and I try to help people become self-sustainable – that’s my thing,” she said. “I don’t have to be mayor to do that.”
As the city’s first Black and first woman mayor, Elliott said she hopes her accomplishments will serve to inspire or encourage someone to run who never thought they could be mayor.
“I hope I’ve smoothed the playing field for someone else to come through the door.”
Editor’s note: This story has been edited from its original version.
(— by Laura Gabel; John C. Rose contributed to this story)
Click Play!
