Politicos of all stripes have begun gearing up for a 2020 election that looks to be a broad moment of opportunity. In Asheville, ballots will include offices from president on down to City Council. Experienced campaign runners and elected officials are teaming up to try to recruit new candidates or train and encourage those already considering a run.
The A-B Tech Board of Trustees accepted a compromise earlier this month that would enable the college to address a $25 million maintenance backlog using yearly payments from revenue generated by a quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2011. Commissioners will consider the proposal during their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
The document, set by the chamber’s advocacy and policy committee, adds opioid and substance abuse prevention to the docket for the first time. Affordable housing and expanded transit options throughout the Asheville metro region also made the cut, while Medicaid restructuring and the Interstate 26 Connector Project were both removed from last year’s list.
After Democrats broke the Republican supermajority in the N.C. House of Representatives and Senate in the 2018 election, State Sen. Terry Van Duyn believes her party colleagues in the General Assembly will have more political clout during the upcoming session.
As the Democratic Party retook control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections, Buncombe Dems managed to hold onto a few key positions in local elections — perhaps most notably that of county sheriff. Politics also seeped into the Board of Commissioners race, where Republicans fell short in their bid to flip the party composition of the board.
Robert Pressley, incumbent Buncombe County commissioner for District 3, was the only Republican to win a county race in the hotly contested 2018 midterms. Buncombe County Democratic Party Chair Jeff Rose said the party’s unprecedented midterm voter outreach had helped propel Democratic candidates to wins in nearly all local contests.
Watch this space for the latest election results and commentary from the Mountain Xpress news team. The post will be updated regularly throughout the evening.
From 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., polls will be open throughout the region for citizens to decide who represents them in key local, state and national offices, as well as if six amendments will be added to the North Carolina constitution.
Despite concern that a state law passed in June could stifle early voting numbers, counties in Western North Carolina have seen turnout more consistent with a presidential election than a midterm.
Whatever the outcome of the Tuesday, Nov. 6, general election, advocates with Women AdvaNCe, a nonpartisan education institute, aim to energize politically-engaged women during the all-day Women Moving Mountains summit on Saturday, Nov. 10, at The Collider in Asheville.
A second campus of the N.C. School of Science and Math is on tap for 2021 in Morganton, and fundraising is underway to assemble the final pieces of the puzzle to bring the plans to life. Montreat College announced a new student loan repayment program, local elected officials came out to oppose all six constitutional amendments on the ballot in the 2018 general election and a major controlled burning training exercise will take place through Friday, Nov. 9 in the area.
The Council of Independent Business Owners hosted a debate at Highland Brewing Company between two candidates for the District 10 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives: Incumbent Patrick McHenry, a Republican, and challenger David Wilson Brown, a Democrat.
By Able Allen, Virginia Daffron, David Floyd and Daniel Walton Welcome to Mountain Xpress’ 2018 general election voter guide. We’ve asked pertinent questions of all the local candidates, and now the choice is yours. At Xpress, we believe a well-informed voter considers more than a candidate’s party affiliation, making choices based on a leader’s character, values […]
Carl Mumpower, chair of the Buncombe County Republican Party, encourages voters to support the six amendments. In contrast, both Democratic and Green party leaders aim to “nix all six,” while the Libertarians support only a lower constitutional cap on state income taxes.
A Facebook Live forum hosted by Blue Ridge Public Radio and the Mountain Xpress on Wednesday, Oct. 17, offered District 2 candidates Glenda Weinert and Amanda Edwards an opportunity to address issues like affordable housing, opioid abuse, and the omnipresent criminal investigation into former county officials.
In partnership with Blue Ridge Public Radio, Mountain Xpress will present a candidate forum for the District 2 seat of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners today at noon.
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Editor’s note: All of the candidates for Buncombe County Board of Education are running in different districts and are unopposed. They are not running against one another. For the sake of concise organization Xpress is listing them together. All voters in Buncombe County School Districts will see all the candidates on their ballots. Pat Bryant […]
Editor’s note: Voters in Buncombe County will be asked to choose up to two of the following candidates for two seats on the five member board of Buncombe County Soil and Water District Supervisors. Alan Ditmore Website: facebook.com/Elect-Alan-Ditmore-for-Buncombe-SWCD-1822097381207746 Occupation: Handyman/pet sitter/small engines Previous candidacy or offices held: I stood (as they say in England) for […]
Part of the 2018 Mountain Xpress General Election Voter Guide
Donna Ensley Democrat Website: electdonnaensley.com Occupation: Retired development professional Previous candidacy or offices held: None Key endorsements: Sierra Club, Buncombe County Association of Educators, Sen. Terry Van Duyn, AFL-CIO, Buncombe County Democratic Women Amount of money raised: $28,497 Top three donors: Ron Edgerton, Dr. Charles Weiss, Dr. Bruce Rogers Why are you running for county […]
