Voters might be forgiven for thinking that Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards is running to represent Asheville. Since last October, the District 48 incumbent has tangled with Asheville City Council over the conduct of local elections, blasted local reporters as “20-something journalists whose most frightening experience is learning they have a gluten allergy” and threatened to withhold state funds from the city’s government after Council voted to reallocate $770,000 from the Asheville Police Department budget.
But under district maps adopted by the General Assembly in September 2019, no one who lives in the city will cast a vote for Edwards in 2020. The new District 48 trades parts of South Asheville for Buncombe County’s more sparsely populated east, including Barnardsville, Black Mountain and Swannanoa. “I will work just as fervently to represent this new district,” Edwards wrote about the changed lines, in response to a question in the Xpress voter guide.
Edwards’ opponent is Brian Caskey, the mayor pro tem of Mills River in Henderson County. The only Democrat on the Mills River Town Council, located in a county where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by over 14,000, Caskey has said he hopes to bring bipartisan appeal to district voters.
In District 49, which now covers all of Asheville and the western two-thirds of Buncombe County, Democrat Julie Mayfield hopes to represent many of her current constituents on a larger stage. The Asheville City Council member has the endorsement of outgoing Democratic Sen. Terry Van Duyn, who gave up her reelection chances to mount an unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor. Mayfield faces Republican Bob Penland of Candler, a Navy veteran and first-time candidate.
The names of the candidates are linked to their responses in the post:
District 48
District 49
District 48
Brian Caskey
Website: BrianCaskey.com
Party affiliation: Democrat
Occupation: Educator
Previous candidacy or offices held: Mayor pro tem, Mills River Town Council (current)
Key endorsements: N.C. Association of Educators, AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood, Moms Demand Action, Equality NC
Amount of money raised: $75,000
Top three donors: My campaign has over 1,000 donors and has taken zero PAC money.
The recently redrawn Senate District 48 traded Arden and Biltmore Forest for Black Mountain, Swannanoa and Barnardsville. How will these new boundaries influence your approach to representing your constituents? The new boundaries are a result of the courts demanding that District 48 — the most gerrymandered Senate district in North Carolina — be redrawn. I believe that this is a positive change for District 48, since eastern Buncombe tends to be rural farm country, just like much of Henderson and Transylvania counties. My family lived in Riceville Valley for many years, so while we currently live in Mills River, we’re very familiar with the area.
Candidates elected this year are expected to draw new electoral district lines for North Carolina, based on the 2020 census. What would be the fairest process for drawing those district boundaries, and how would you advocate for that process? My opponent, Chuck Edwards, has attended American Legislative Exchange Conference (ALEC) seminars on how to perfect the gerrymander. Incredibly, attendees were encouraged to burn their notes afterward. I believe that legislators, whether they are Democrats or Republicans, cannot be trusted to draw their own districts. The only real solution is to establish a nonpartisan commission that will draw fair legislative districts and to protect their work with a constitutional amendment.
What further state-based COVID-19 relief efforts are appropriate, given the likely long-term damage of the pandemic on the local economy? The pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of North Carolina’s social safety net. It has also exposed the General Assembly as “all talk, no action.” They are too busy undermining the governor to take positive actions. We must expand Medicaid, since the federal government pays for 90% of the cost (and we’re already paying for it). We must fix our broken unemployment insurance program, make sure that corporations pay their fair share and create a more diverse array of high-paying jobs. And we can.
What do you see as the state government’s role in promoting racial equity? We are becoming a more diverse society by the day, and this should be celebrated. Unfortunately, the fires of racism still burn bright in some pockets of North Carolina. We must encourage investment in Black-owned startups and other businesses, and we must always be striving to ensure that intentional investment in communities of color takes place. We must push for a pathway to citizenship for our farm workers as well. Farmers want this, and it is the ethical and moral thing for us to do.
North Carolina is one of nine states with a legal restriction against third-party power sales. What legislation would you support to improve consumer access to renewable energy and fight climate change? As a council member in Mills River, I advanced the idea of installing solar panels on every town-owned building and was successful in that effort. The result is that we have reduced our carbon footprint by 77%. Solar power is a passive and extremely efficient way to create electricity, so I will make reestablishing tax breaks and incentives for solar power — available to each and every citizen — a priority in the first legislative session in 2021.
Chuck Edwards (incumbent)
Website: ChuckEdwardsNC.com
Party affiliation: Republican
Occupation: Small-business owner
Previous candidacy or offices held: N.C. Senate District 48
Key endorsements: N.C. Police Benevolent Association, N.C. Troopers Association, National Federation of Independent Business, N.C. Right to Life, N.C. Values Coalition
Amount of money raised: Please refer to N.C. Board of Elections website
Top three donors: Please refer to N.C. Board of Elections website
The recently redrawn Senate District 48 traded Arden and Biltmore Forest for Black Mountain, Swannanoa and Barnardsville. How will these new boundaries influence your approach to representing your constituents? My approach will not change. I will work just as fervently to represent this new district.
Candidates elected this year are expected to draw new electoral district lines for NC, based on the 2020 census. What would be the most fair process for drawing those district boundaries, and how would you advocate for that process? I will advocate for an open and transparent process that will adhere to practical district drawing procedures that adhere to the N.C. Supreme Court’s Stephenson v. Bartlett ruling.
What further state-based COVID-19 relief efforts are appropriate, given the likely long-term damage of the pandemic on the local economy? North Carolina will require continued monitoring of infection rates and providing support to medical facilities, research facilities and our education system.
What do you see as the state government’s role in promoting racial equity? State programs and resources should be accessible to all races and should not favor one over another.
North Carolina is one of nine states with a legal restriction against third-party power sales. What legislation would you support to improve consumer access to renewable energy and fight climate change? I will continue to advocate for an “all of the above” energy strategy that considers costs and reliability. I served on the conference committee for H589 that rewrote Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act regulations. In this bill, I was proud to have helped incorporate 6,880 megawatts of renewable energy into the North Carolina energy portfolio.
District 49
Julie Mayfield
Website: MayfieldForNCSenate.com
Party affiliation: Democrat
Occupation: Co-director, MountainTrue; Asheville City Council member
Previous candidacy or offices held: Asheville City Council
Key endorsements: Sierra Club, Equality NC, Lillian’s List, N.C. State AFL-CIO, Sen. Terry Van Duyn
Amount of money raised: $121,253
Top three donors: Mack Pearsall, $7,900; Fred Stanback, $5,400; Ron Edgerton, $2,500
What action by outgoing Sen. Terry Van Duyn have you most disagreed with? I disagree with her withdrawal of legislation that would have tightened religious exemptions for vaccines. Thinking ahead to when we have a COVID-19 vaccine, everyone will need to vaccinated, with few to no exceptions.
Candidates elected this year are expected to draw new electoral district lines for North Carolina, based on the 2020 census. What would be the fairest process for drawing those district boundaries, and how would you advocate for that process? I support appointing an independent commission that would draw lines based on neutral, nonpartisan criteria developed and adopted by the legislature. I would be happy to introduce or co-sponsor such legislation.
What further state-based COVID-19 relief efforts are appropriate, given the likely long-term damage of the pandemic on the local economy? Resources for rent/mortgage assistance, extending and increasing unemployment benefits, extending the eviction moratorium for residences and businesses.
What do you see as the state government’s role in promoting racial equity? Just as we are doing here in Asheville, the state should examine all structures and programs to ensure they promote equity and should make new investments in programs that support people and communities of color, particularly in education and housing. Police reform is also a key factor in promoting racial equity — improving use-of-force policies, requiring intervention when force is excessive, better training and more focus on race awareness and intrinsic racism.
North Carolina is one of nine states with a legal restriction against third-party power sales. What legislation would you support to improve consumer access to renewable energy and fight climate change? North Carolina should allow for third-party sales as part of a larger climate change agenda that will get the state to 100% renewable energy.
Bob Penland
Website: BobPenland.com
Party affiliation: Republican
Occupation: Retired military
Previous candidacy or offices held: None
Key endorsements: NRA A rating, Grass Roots NC 97%
Amount of money raised: $14,000
Top three donors: Fremont Brown, $5,400; Meadows for Congress, $1,000; Stan Shelley, $1,000
What action by outgoing Sen. Terry Van Duyn have you most disagreed with? I have not researched her voting record, as I am not running against her.
Candidates elected this year are expected to draw new electoral district lines for North Carolina, based on the 2020 census. What would be the fairest process for drawing those district boundaries, and how would you advocate for that process? It is up to the legislative branch to redraw district lines. This is spelled out in the Constitution.
What further state-based COVID-19 relief efforts are appropriate, given the likely long-term damage of the pandemic on the local economy? Open the businesses back up and let the economy recover.
What do you see as the state government’s role in promoting racial equity? I feel that each person should be treated equally and fairly but should have no special treatment from any government.
North Carolina is one of nine states with a legal restriction against third-party power sales. What legislation would you support to improve consumer access to renewable energy and fight climate change? I have not researched this enough to give a reasonable view at this time.
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