Mark Cates
Slogan: “Jobs. Before anything else.”
Profession: Aerospace engineer/small-business consultant/entrepreneur
Lives in: North Asheville
Funds: $20,011 raised as of Sept. 26
Endorsements: Thomas Smith, president, WNC Cornhole Players Association
Website: www.markcates.com
Twitter: @carolinacates
Candidate survey: http://avl.mx/66
Interview: http://avl.mx/6b
The lowdown: The only registered Republican in the race, Mark Cates has presented himself as a moderate, strongly emphasizing the need for job growth and touting an economic plan that calls for making Asheville “the home for global environmentalism.” Cates faced some controversy when it came to light that he’d served a short stint as treasurer of the Asheville Tea Party.
In his own words: “Detractors are always going to do their thing; I'm not worried about it. For me, it's about jobs. … If you look at at my economic plan, I tried to build … something that was bipartisan. Everyone in Asheville is very passionate about protecting the environment.” — Mark Cates
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