Waldrop earns spot on ballot, launches campaign for Buncombe Commission

Nancy Waldrop. Photo by Alicia Funderburk

Nancy Waldrop — the wife of current Buncombe Commissioner David King — earned an unaffiliated spot on the Nov. 4 ballot and immediately launched a campaign to represent District 3 on the board of commissioners.

She faces Republican Miranda DeBruhl, who defeated King in the May primary. District 3 encompasses the most conservative part of Buncombe County and includes Enka-Candler, Sandy Mush and Biltmore Forest. Waldrop, a longtime registered Republican voter, is running as an unaffiliated candidate. To get on the ballot without the backing of either of the major parties, she needed to collect 2,300 signatures from registered voters in the district by June 27. She exceeded that goal, submitting 3,279 verified signatures to the Buncombe County Board of Elections more than a week before the deadline.

That could put Waldrop in a strong position going into the general election: The number of signatures she gathered is significantly more than the 2,054 votes DeBruhl received in the Republican primary. However, DeBruhl’s votes were enough for the political newcomer to soundly defeat King by a margin of 59 percent to 37 percent. Waldrop jumped into the race after her husband’s May 6 loss.

During the GOP primary, DeBruhl slammed King for votes he took with the Democratic majority to raise the sales tax rate, as well as a trip he took to France as part of his duties serving on the Economic Development Coalition of Asheville-Buncombe County board.

In her statement announcing the start of her general election campaign, Waldrop says she’ll provide “voters with a more moderate option to conservative Republican candidate Miranda Debruhl.” Waldrop is a Western North Carolina native with a Master’s Degree in Education from Western Carolina University and 30 years of teaching experience. She has also been co-owner of a small coffee and gift shop, and as a realtor, co-operated her own real estate office.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.