Contentious messages from a “WNC GOP” Twitter account are attracting media attention from across the state, leading the North Carolina Republican Party to distance itself from the anonymous group.
Tag: politics
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Supporters rally in Asheville for redistricting reform
With state legislators opting not to vote on redistricting reform this year, local bipartisan supporters rallied in downtown Asheville Aug. 1 to start campaigning on behalf of passing the measure in 2014.
Meet the candidates for Asheville Mayor, City Council ***UPDATED***
With filing over last Friday, Ashevilleans now have a firm idea of who’s running for office in this year’s local elections. Three candidates are vying to be the city’s next mayor, and six seek to fill three open City Council seats. Here’s a rundown of the candidates and their statements (if they’ve issued one).
Bill to honor Mary Nesbitt and rename MAHEC campus becomes law
A bill that would both rename the Biltmore campus of the Mountain Area Education Center and honor former state representative and lifelong Asheville resident, Mary Nesbitt, was signed into law yesterday by Gov. Pat McCrory. (Photo of the bill signing courtesy of Sen. Martin Nesbitt’s Facebook page)
Done deal: Lessons from the 2012 district elections
As state Rep. Tim Moffitt contemplates a move to switch Asheville to predominantly district elections, similar changes he pushed for the Buncombe County commissioners continue to have far-reaching effects.
The district advantage
UNCA political science professor Bill Sabo sees definite advantages to district election systems in cities with populations over 100,000. But with Asheville well below that threshold, it’s less clear what making such a switch here might mean.
Democracy by decree: State lawmakers may impose new city election system
A June 3 email from Rep. Tim Moffitt to Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy revealed a plan that has city officials and some residents up in arms.
District elections: Beyond the rhetoric
The recent disclosure that state Rep. Tim Moffitt had drafted a bill to change Asheville City Council contests from an at-large system to predominantly district elections has triggered heated debate among both elected officials and the general public. Although Moffitt hasn’t yet filed the bill, which mirrors the state-mandated 2011 switch for the Buncombe County commissioners, he could follow through at any time, and the potential impacts are substantial. In the following articles, Xpress takes a closer look at what such a move might mean for this city — and for this year’s scheduled elections.
Jonathan Wainscott announces run for Asheville City Council
Jonathan Wainscott, a West Asheville resident and small business owner, announced July 12 that he plans to run for Asheville City Council.
Merrill drops election lawsuit, will run for Buncombe Commission again next year
Eight months after last year’s election, Republican Christina Kelly G. Merrill is dropping a lawsuit challenging results that showed her just 18 votes shy of winning a seat on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Instead, the Fairview resident says she’ll mount a campaign for a seat on the board next year.
Asheville’s “1 percent of the 1 percent” political donors
The Sunlight Foundation recently released extensive data on “the political 1 percent of the 1 percent,” the 31,385 people responsible for over a quarter of political donations nationwide during the 2012 elections. Fifteen of them are in the Asheville metro area, including developers, retirees, a minister and a well-known local philanthropist.
Candidate filing for 2013 local elections starts today
Filing begins today, July 5, to run for Asheville City Council and other local positions this year.
A cultural bypass
Amid a contentious behind-the-scenes debate, a bill that would've originally allowed Buncombe County and its cities to consolidate parks and recreation departments was revised June 26 in the North Carolina Senate to exclude municipalities completely. First garnering bipartisan support this spring, recent revisions have highlighted ongoing political tensions between local and state officials over consolidation […]
Buncombe commissioners split over culture authority, likely to delay budget vote
Buncombe County commissioners may likely delay their vote today on a $337 million budget. The source of the postponement appears to be the contentious behind-the-scenes debate over state legislation that would allow them to create an independent Cultural and Recreation Authority that consolidates services offered by the county and municipalities within Buncombe. Some commissioners say they weren’t consulted about a recent amendment to the CRA bill, and it’s unclear whether a majority of commissioners supported the amendment.
In Asheville speech, Scalia decries judicial activism
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia decried judicial activism and told the hundreds of lawyers gathered June 21 in Asheville that their law degrees don’t qualify them to determine the moral values of society.
The Holy Spirit closes in on Raleigh: Local faith leaders call on Asheville to stand for justice
A determined and inspirited contingent of Asheville’s faith community made itself heard last Monday, May 20, when over 20 faith leaders held a press conference at the foot of the courthouse steps to speak out against a plethora of laws that are being proposed and passed by the North Carolina General Assembly this year.
Are you being served? County budget woes have local nonprofits facing the ax
Grappling with their toughest budget in a decade, the Buncombe County commissioners have been debating austerity measures that would put the squeeze on many local nonprofits for the foreseeable future. And amid a still-sputtering economy, most of those groups are already struggling after years of rising demand and dwindling funding sources.
Advocates for redistricting reform tout new study; poll shows overwhelming support
Ahead of the last election, Buncombe County was split between two congressional districts, and lines were redrawn in ways that helped Republicans get elected to the N.C. Statehouse and Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Now, a new study shows how gerrymandering distorts elections in North Carolina, while a new poll finds overwhelming public support for changing the redistricting process.
Meadows reports back from Congress: ‘It’s unbelievably bad’
Freshman Rep. Mark Meadows met with a group of local business leaders April 30 and shared some scalding thoughts on what he’s encountered during his first few months in Congress.
Hell or high water: Rep. Nathan Ramsey wades straight into the fray
During a recent visit home, State Rep. Nathan Ramsey says he’s happy to be back in the mountains. “A little cooler up here,” he says. “Closer to heaven; farther from hell, which is Raleigh.”
In the running
Election season is underway for Asheville City Council. So far, a number of contenders have announced that they’ll run: Vice Mayor Esther Manheimer and former Asheville Risk Management Director John Miall will aim for the mayor’s seat (current Mayor Terry Bellamy departs and will take another shot at beating Rep. Patrick McHenry for a seat […]