Holding mayoral candidates accountable in Charlotte.

Before an audience of LGBTQ activists, Democratic Sen. Joel Ford Monday night defended his 2015 vote for a bill that gave magistrates the right to recuse themselves from performing same-sex marriages.

“In my mind that was striking a balance,” Ford told a forum organized by MeckPac and other groups.

The forum, which drew four of the five Democratic candidates for mayor, was part of Charlotte’s annual Pride Week.