Incumbent Democrats Eric Ager and Lindsey Prather are running for reelection in N.C. House districts 114 and 115, respectively. But both districts look different from when the pair was first elected to two-year terms in 2022.
That’s because all North Carolina state legislative districts have been redrawn by Republican legislators.
The new version of District 114 covers eastern and south central Buncombe County, and notably no longer includes a large portion of the City of Asheville. It is still considered to lean Democratic. Ager faces certified public accountant Sherry Higgins, who lost a close Republican primary for the seat in 2022.
District 115, meanwhile, went from a “lean Democratic” to a “lean Republican” district, according to Chris Cooper, professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University. The new district covers western, northern and northeastern Buncombe County.
Prather will square off against attorney Ruth Smith for the seat.
Higgins and Smith did not respond to multiple requests for participation in the Xpress Voter Guide.
Editor’s note: Xpress reached out to this year’s candidates prior to the devastation our community experienced from Tropical Storm Helene. Please keep this in mind as you review our 2024 Voter Guide.
District 114
Eric Ager
Website: ericager4nc.com
Occupation: Retired military/nonprofit executive director
Previous candidacy or offices held: State House of Representatives District 114 since the 2022 election
Key endorsements: Sierra Club, VoteVets, Equality NC, N.C. Association of Educators, N.C. State AFL-CIO
Amount of money raised: $30,000
Top three donors: James Wolfe, Steven Baumohl, Richard Wasch
What are the top state and local concerns for your constituents, and how do you plan to address them?
1) Agriculture and the environment — I believe in bringing farmers and environmentalists together to take care of our soil, air, land and water because these are the people in our community who are the most focused on the beauty of our mountain lands. We were able to appropriate $2 million of ag cost-share money for farmers in the French Broad River basin that will help farmers complete projects that will have a big impact on water quality in the French Broad and all of its tributaries but need to continue to build on this effort. 2) Behavioral health — We are in the middle of a behavioral health crisis in our state and need to continue to fund innovative efforts to improve lives and build a strong workforce. 3) Public school funding — We must change the trajectory of funding for our public schools so that they have the resources that they need to do the most important job in our state, which is educating our children.
North Carolina ranks 49th in the country in the percentage of its gross domestic product spent on education, according to nonpartisan think tank Public School Forum. What will you do to improve state support of public education, including higher education?
Current school funding levels are inadequate, and the Republican majority instead directed more than $500 million to the private school voucher program, which allows the wealthiest in our communities to receive a subsidy to send their children to private schools. Instead, this money should be directed toward our public schools, which educate more than 80% of the kids in North Carolina.
North Carolina has a $1 billion surplus. Many in the state legislature have expressed using that to expand private school voucher programs. How would you spend the surplus?
I would spend the surplus to ensure that our state employees, including teachers, are given cost-of-living (COLA) raises to ensure that they are able to afford to live in the communities in which they teach. The state worker vacancy rate is currently almost 25%, and this is not sustainable. From our schools to the DMV to the Department of Agriculture, we don’t have enough workers to do what needs to be done. Additionally, I would direct some of the surplus toward a COLA raise to our state government retirees whose buying power has been cut by almost 50% in the last 20 years.
What can the N.C. General Assembly do to improve health care and access to it in your district?
Medicaid expansion during the last term was a huge step forward, but we have a lot more work to do. We need to ensure that Mission HCA is held accountable by our community and that it returns its focus to people instead of profits. We need to continue to provide funding for programs like the Healthy Opportunities pilot program, which has a real impact on improving the social determinants of health. And finally, we need to continue to look for innovative ways to ensure that our health system meets the needs of patients instead of being directed primarily by organizations that are simply in search of profits.
Should the N.C. General Assembly allow the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) to use more occupancy tax revenues to address affordable housing?
Yes, we have a housing crisis in Buncombe County, and without relief, the tourism industry won’t have the workforce necessary to continue to bring tourist dollars into our local economy if we don’t have places for those workers to live.
Sherry M. Higgins
Higgins did not respond to multiple requests for participation in the Xpress Voter Guide.
District 115
Lindsey Prather
Website: pratherfornc.com
Occupation: Assistant director of admission, UNC Asheville
Previous candidacy or offices held: State House of Representatives District 115 since the 2022 election
Key endorsements: Sierra Club, EMILY’s List, N.C. League of Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood
Amount of money raised: $282,772.91 as of June 30.
Top three donors: Steve Baumohl, Rich Wasch, Brad Stanback
What are the top state and local concerns for your constituents, and how do you plan to address them?
Education — Put a moratorium on the private school voucher program and increase teacher and staff pay. Housing — I would invest in the Housing Finance Agency to assist with aging in place, workforce housing and down payment assistance. Health care — Expand physical/mental health care access in schools and communities through school-based health care programs and incentivize health care providers to work in rural areas. Cost of living — I will again file HB 1055, the Working Families and Small Business Act. It will invest in state employee salaries, cost-of-living adjustments for retirees, tax credits to small businesses and child care subsidies so parents can get back to work.
North Carolina ranks 49th in the country in the percentage of its gross domestic product spent on education, according to nonpartisan think tank Public School Forum. What will you do to improve state support of public education, including higher education?
I will continue pushing for the state legislature to follow the Leandro Plan to fully fund our public schools according to our constitutional obligation. I would invest in teacher preparation programs, including NC Teaching Fellows and local “grow your own” programs. I will also continue to advocate for the proposed community college funding formula, which expands workforce training programs and short-term workforce credentials.
North Carolina has a $1 billion surplus. Many in the state legislature have expressed using that to expand private school voucher programs. How would you spend the surplus?
I would focus on expanding North Carolina pre-K so that families who qualify can actually access the service. Investments in early childhood education are fiscally sound and improve the entire state’s economy.
What can the N.C. General Assembly do to improve health care and access to it in your district?
I was proud to vote for Medicaid expansion last year, which has allowed over 12,000 people in Buncombe to get health care. However, more work needs to be done to expand access to care, particularly in rural areas. One action the General Assembly can take is passing my bipartisan bill, Preserving Competition in Healthcare (HB 737), which enhances the powers of the Attorney General’s Office to review sales of nonprofit hospitals to for-profit companies. What happened to Asheville with HCA cannot be allowed to happen to any other communities. I will continue pushing for incentives to encourage health care providers to work and serve in rural areas.
Should the N.C. General Assembly allow the BCTDA to use more occupancy tax revenues to address affordable housing?
YES. In order to maintain a thriving tourism economy, we need workers who are able to staff the hotels, restaurants, bars, tours, etc., that visitors use. Those workers need to be able to live in Buncombe County.
Ruth Smith
Smith did not respond to multiple requests for participation in the Xpress Voter Guide.
Editor’s note: To look up which races you will vote for, visit avl.mx/6nq.
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.