Here’s the announcement from the campaign of John Ager:
Community Leader John Ager to file for NC House District 115
Longtime Fairview community leader John Ager announced today that he will file as a candidate to represent Buncombe County in the North Carolina General Assembly (District 115).
“While I would be happy to keep working at my beloved Hickory Nut Gap Farm, and helping care for my eight grandchildren, I have made the decision to devote the next nine months to campaigning to bring a common sense, moderate voice that is an antidote to the hyper-partisan legislation that cascaded out of Raleigh in 2013,” Ager said.
Ager was instrumental in transforming Hickory Nut Gap Farm into one of most successful farms in our region. It is a fifth-generation family farm that has earned statewide recognition and is now owned by Ager’s son and daughter-in-law, John and Amy Ager.
“I would be honored to work tirelessly to bring quality jobs to Buncombe County, and to support our young citizens as they strive to start new businesses,” John Ager said. “Good jobs mean strong families, and strong families mean a vibrant, innovative local community that can attract even more businesses to the area.”
During his 43 years in the District, Ager has served as a schoolteacher, PTA president, and youth sports coach. He is the Chair of the Buncombe County Land Conservation Advisory Board and former longtime chair of the Buncombe County Agricultural Advisory Board. Ager is known for his collaborative work to establish the Drovers Road Scenic By-Way and Chimney Rock Park, as well as The Lord’s Acre, Fairview Christian Fellowship, and the Fairview Library.
“I will be a voice and a workhorse on behalf of public education in North Carolina,” Ager said. “Our children deserve highly motivated, committed teachers that don’t have to work a second job to take care of their families. My four sons all received excellent educations at Reynolds High School. Two of them are running local businesses and putting their contemporaries on the payroll. The other two are serving in the U.S. military.”
Ager is the Land Manager for Hickory Nut Gap Farm and helps run the family-owned historic Sherrill’s Inn as an event and wedding venue. Ager raises pigs, laying hens, ponies, and horses.
Ager said that he “would not take this challenge on without the help of my wife Annie, who has a lifetime of friends all through this community.”
Annie Clarke Ager is a Fairview native, daughter of former U.S. Congressman Jamie Clarke, who also served in the NC House and Senate. John and Annie married in Swannanoa in 1971. Annie will serve as Manager for her husband’s campaign.
“Annie and I have immensely enjoyed working to build such a community in Fairview, and we look forward to working with people in Black Mountain, Weaverville, Montreat, Swannanoa, Barnardsville, and every community in District 115,” Ager said.
Filing opens February 10. Ager is a registered Democrat. If there are multiple Democrat candidates, a Primary Election will be held May 6. The General Election is November 4.
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