From occupancy tax allocations and hemp production to private bar membership, state legislators voted on several measures that are consequential to WNC in their recently concluded short session.

From occupancy tax allocations and hemp production to private bar membership, state legislators voted on several measures that are consequential to WNC in their recently concluded short session.
As the sole abortion provider in Western North Carolina, the Planned Parenthood in Asheville will become the closest legal abortion destination for millions of people.
Supporters of medical marijuana and the local hemp industry want to see the state allow the use of cannabis as a treatment option for debilitating medical conditions. But there are disagreements with Senate Bill 711 as written.
The Buncombe County Board of Elections won’t officially certify the results until Friday, May 27, and the N.C. Board of Elections will issue its own certification Thursday, June 9. But even with those steps still to come, there’s plenty to learn from the unofficial results.
North Carolina voters can register with one of three political parties — Republican, Democratic and Libertarian — or as unaffiliated. The last has become an increasingly popular option, both in WNC and across the state.
Watch this space for the latest 2022 primary election results for Western North Carolina and commentary from the Mountain Xpress news team. The post will be updated regularly throughout the evening.
AAAC Executive Director Katie Cornell discusses the latest candidate survey and the 2020 edition’s impact on local policies.
In preparation for the primary election of Tuesday, May 17, Xpress sent questions to all candidates in contested races representing Buncombe County voters. Responses from candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, N.C. General Assembly, Buncombe County-level races and Asheville City Council are all collected here.
As of April 9, nearly 83,000 Buncombe County residents — about 40.3% of all voters — had registered as unaffiliated, compared with about 75,000 Democrats (36.5%), 46,000 Republicans (22.4%) and 1,700 Libertarians (0.8%). The shift represents an unaffiliated increase of nearly 15 percentage points since the 2008 primaries.
Primary candidates in the 2022 Asheville mayoral election share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates in the U.S. House of Representatives District 11 2022 Republican primary share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates in the U.S. House of Representatives District 11 2022 Democratic primary share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates for the Buncombe County Sheriff Democratic 2022 primary share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates for the Buncombe County District Attorney Democratic 2022 primary share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District 1 Democratic 2022 primary share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates in the Asheville City Board of Education 2022 primary race share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates in the N.C. Senate District 46 Republican 2022 primary share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates in the N.C. Senate District 49 Democratic 2022 primary share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates in the N.C. House District 115 Republican 2022 primary share their positions with Xpress.
Primary candidates for the 2022 Asheville City Council race share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates in the Buncombe County Sheriff Republican 2022 primary share their positions with Xpress.