The write-in rundown (aka "Who voted for Squirt the Wonder Clam?")

Posted on by David Forbes

In the Nov. 3 municipal election, Asheville City Council member Robin Cape received 4,478 write-in votes, according to figures from Buncombe County Election Services. While Cape's bid for a second term was serious, many write-in voters were not. (Squirt the Wonder Clam, really?)

Cape, who changed her mind and decided to run for a second term after the filing deadline, passed out pencils and ran a vigorous campaign but was ultimately unsuccessful, coming in fifth place. Cape got the lion's share of the 4,627 total write-in votes.

The remaining 149 are a mixed bag, to put it politely. On the more serious side, former City Council member (and current county commissioner) Holly Jones got 18 write-in votes for her old seat, while current Council member Kelly Miller, who stepped out of the race before the general election, got 12.

On the mayoral side, Cape also led the write-in field with 23 votes, followed by Shad Marsh (who ran in the primary) with 18, Asheville Design Center planner Joe Minicozzi with 12, Council member Carl Mumpower with 11 and former Council member Joe Dunn with five.

Then there's Squirt the Wonder Clam, who was joined by the illustrious (Christopher Walken, Ferris Bueller, Big Bird, Mickey Mouse), the criminal (DB Cooper, Charles Manson), the dissatisfied ("None of the Above," "Anybody Else"), the parental ("Your Mom") and, of course, the perennial political favorite Satan, who could not be reached for comment.

Asheville media types got some electoral love as well, with votes for the Ashvegas blog, long-time Xpress contributor and editor Nelda Holder and WCQS mainstay David Hurand. UNCA political professor William Sabo also got a nod. Better luck next election, everyone.

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