Republicans in Charlotte say the stabbing death of a woman on a commuter train signals it’s long past time local residents vote out Democrats leading North Carolina’s largest city. GOP candidates for mayor and city council joined state party officials for a news conference at a light rail station the day after the city’s primary election.

Police say Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed on a train Aug. 22. A man with a lengthy criminal record has been charged with murder.

Four-term Democratic Mayor Vi Lyles easily won her primary Tuesday and will face Republican Terrie Donovan in November’s general election. Republicans have accused Lyles and other Democrats of failing to keep the transit system safe and for other loose criminal justice policies.

“This is no longer a matter of voting red or voting blue. This is a matter of voting for common sense,” Donovan said at the news conference.

She added: “We don’t just deserve change, we demand change.”

There hasn’t been a GOP mayor in Charlotte since 2009. Success for Donovan and other GOP candidates likely will depend on the city’s large bloc of unaffiliated voters.

AP video shot by Erik Verduzco