The 20 years that Kevin Mahoney served in the U.S. Air Force might sound like a dream deployment for some. Mahoney, who lives in Asheville, joined at 24 and trained as a cryptolinguist in Arabic and Farsi. The Air Force deployed him to the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. He was able to travel […]
“What issues did Xpress readers feel passionate enough about to write letters to the editor or commentaries during a year that promises to go down in history?”
Xpress contributor Mark Barrett unpacks the surprisingly static results to emerge from a politically tumultuous year in Western North Carolina.
Xpress has compiled election night summaries for each of the contests previously included in our general election voter guide. The Buncombe County Board of Elections will not officially certify results until Friday, Nov. 13, and the state board will not issue certification until Tuesday, Nov. 24.
The money faucet is open in the race to represent Western North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District. Republican candidate Madison Cawthorn has raised more than Democratic candidate Moe Davis, but Cawthorn’s campaign has also spent heavily to bring those dollars in. As of Sept. 30, Davis had more cash on hand than his opponent.
“Moe Davis has repeatedly told people to ‘look at his record.’ Let’s do just that.”
“We don’t want elected officials who are going to serve or give allegiance to campaign donors, corporate lobbyists, the whims and fancies of people they admire, their friends in high places or political bosses.”
“Cawthorn has GQ good looks; a high-energy personality; and the 25-year-old has already gaffed his way to unwanted national attention with cringeworthy comments.”
“Let’s send someone to Congress whose career reflects significant education, training, relevant work experience — and maturity.”
“You see, it’s not enough to vote Trump out. We must vote out his enablers in Congress and state governments.”
Candidates in the 2020 general election for North Carolina’s U.S. House of Representatives District 11 seat give their answers for the Mountain Xpress voter guide.
Many Republican candidates have continued to build voter support through traditional in-person campaign events such as rallies and fundraising concerts. In contrast, Democrats have largely relied on virtual efforts such as phone banking or Zoom calls, eschewing big events out of concern they might encourage spread of the coronavirus.
“He’s supposed to be running to represent us, not Trump, and has zero knowledge of the needs of the people of Western North Carolina.”
“We do not need another extreme-right politician to further these misguided policies.”
Maj. Frank Stout of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office declined to provide additional information about the threats or their credibility, citing an ongoing investigation. However, he said that he’d observed “a lot of hostility in the campaign this year” on social media — more so than in prior election cycles.
In their first public face-off, the candidates vying for the increasingly competitive 11th District congressional seat, Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis, touted their differences on just about all issues and hurled accusations, with each calling the other “fast and loose” with the facts. Who was telling the truth?
The race to represent Western North Carolina in Congress got a lot more real on Sept. 4 and 5, when Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis met for the first time in a public debate. Personal attacks were the order of both evenings as the candidates sought to gain an advantage in the tight contest and generate sound bites for campaign ads.
Tonight’s the night! For the first time, the major-party candidates for WNC’s open congressional seat will meet to debate the issues. The event is hosted by Western Carolina University’s Biltmore Park instructional site and sponsored by Blue Ridge Public Radio, Smoky Mountain News and Mountain Xpress. Details for the event livestream and live updates here.
The contest to represent Western North Carolina in the U.S. House features candidates from different generations with different backgrounds and very different ideas about what needs to happen next in Washington. The main thing Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Morris “Moe” Davis might have in common is they have spent time in the national spotlight, albeit for very different reasons.
“[T]he residents of the 11th District deserve someone who will put the integrity of the U.S. Constitution and the interests of the people of Western North Carolina first.”
“We as citizens expect and deserve better of our elected officials.”
