Four candidates, including three Democrats in contested races, showed up to the event. Their three Republican opponents — Senate incumbent Chuck Edwards, House candidate Marilyn Brown and Commissioner Robert Pressley — didn’t appear. According to League policy, candidates without an opponent present are limited to a two-minute opening statement.
![League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County candidate forum at Leicester Public Library](https://mountainx.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/BEAT2_absenteeism-330x248.jpeg)