An election nail-biter: Jan Davis squeaks into third by 40 votes


In the Nov. 8 Asheville City Council election, incumbent Council member Jan Davis trailed challenger Lael Gray most of the evening. But in the end, he squeaked ahead by 40 points. This photo by Max Cooper shows what a nerve-wracking cliff hanger it was, as Davis and friends watch results coming in on the Buncombe County Board of Election website.

Gray and Davis are likely headed to a recount.

Clear winners in the race to fill thee Council seats? Marc Hunt, who had the most votes, and Chris Pelly, who came in second.

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About Margaret Williams
Editor Margaret Williams first wrote for Xpress in 1994. An Alabama native, she has lived in Western North Carolina since 1987 and completed her Masters of Liberal Arts & Sciences from UNC-Asheville in 2016. Follow me @mvwilliams

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2 thoughts on “An election nail-biter: Jan Davis squeaks into third by 40 votes

  1. Jake

    That’s a pretty weak showing for an incumbent with so much campaign funding and who had won the most votes four years earlier.

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