ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Asheville and Buncombe County voters will head to the polls Nov. 3 to decide a number of local races, including contests for Asheville mayor and City Council, Buncombe County sheriff and commissioners, district attorney and a District Court seat.
The ballot also includes statewide and federal races, including a four-way contest for U.S. Senate and a race for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.
The field of major-party candidates has narrowed since the March primary, although third-party candidates also will appear on the November ballot.
Asheville mayor
Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer is seeking a fourth term against City Council member Kim Roney.
Manheimer has served as mayor since 2013. Roney, who has served on City Council, is challenging the incumbent in the Nov. 3 election.
The race comes as Asheville continues to work through the long-term recovery from Tropical Storm Helene while facing questions about housing affordability, infrastructure, public safety, growth and development.
Asheville City Council
Six candidates are competing for three seats on Asheville City Council:
- Drew Ball
- Maggie Ullman Berthiaume
- Jeffrey Burroughs
- S. Antanette Mosley
- Sheneika E. Smith
- Keith Young
The six advanced from a 20-candidate nonpartisan primary in March. The three candidates who receive the most votes in November will win seats on council.
Berthiaume, Mosley and Smith currently serve on council. Young is a former council member. Ball and Burroughs are newcomers to the council.
Housing, infrastructure, Helene recovery, public safety and growth are among the issues that have featured in the campaign.
Buncombe County sheriff
Democratic incumbent Quentin Miller will face Republican Gary Parris in the race for Buncombe County sheriff.
Miller, first elected sheriff in 2018, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Parris won the Republican primary over Vic Morman with about 75 percent of the vote. Parris is a retired U.S. Navy officer and former law enforcement officer.
The election will determine who leads the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for the next four years. Public safety, jail operations and emergency response are among the issues facing the next sheriff.
Buncombe County commissioners
In District 1, Democrat Anna V. Stearns will face Republican Rob Stetson.
In District 2, Democrat Lonnie Israel will face Republican Greg Parks.
Al Whitesides, a Democrat, is unopposed in District 3.
The commissioner races come as Buncombe County continues to deal with the financial and infrastructure effects of Helene, along with housing needs, recovery spending and questions about future growth.
District attorney
Martin Moore will be the Democratic candidate for Buncombe County district attorney and is unopposed in the November election.
Moore won the Democratic primary in March, defeating Courtney Booth and Katie Kurdys.
He will succeed longtime District Attorney Todd Williams, who did not seek reelection.
Moore is a Buncombe County commissioner and attorney. The district attorney’s office handles criminal prosecutions in the county, putting public safety, criminal justice policy and jail capacity among the issues facing the office.
District Court judge
Ben Scales is the Democratic candidate for District Court judge, District 40, Seat 3.
Scales defeated James H. Mills in the March Democratic primary and is unopposed in the general election.
U.S. Senate
North Carolina voters will decide who succeeds Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, who is not seeking reelection.
The race includes four candidates:
- Democrat Roy Cooper
- Republican Michael Whatley
- Libertarian Shannon W. Bray
- Green Party candidate Michael Dublin
Cooper, the former North Carolina governor, won the Democratic primary with more than 90 percent of the vote in Buncombe County. Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chairman, won the Republican primary with nearly 65 percent.
The Senate race is expected to draw significant attention statewide as Republicans seek to hold the seat.
U.S. House District 11
The race for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District also has changed since the primary.
Republican incumbent Chuck Edwards withdrew from the race in August. Jennifer Capps Balkcom is now the Republican candidate.
She will face Democrat Jamie Ager and Libertarian Travis Groo in the Nov. 3 election.
Ager won the Democratic primary with nearly 65 percent of the vote in Buncombe County. Edwards won the Republican primary with about 71 percent before withdrawing.
The district includes Asheville and much of Western North Carolina.
N.C. Senate District 49
Democratic incumbent Julie Mayfield will face Republican C.J. Domingo for the N.C. Senate District 49 seat.
Mayfield is seeking another term. Both candidates were unopposed in their respective March primaries.
N.C. House District 115
Democratic incumbent Lindsey Prather will face Republican Anthony J. Penland for the N.C. House District 115 seat.
Prather is seeking reelection. Both candidates were unopposed in their March primaries.
Other Buncombe County races
The November ballot also includes several other local contests.
Jean Marie Christy, a Democrat, is unopposed for Buncombe County clerk of Superior Court.
Buncombe County Board of Education races are on the ballot in districts 3, 5 and 6.
Voters also will choose among candidates for Buncombe Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor.
What Asheville and Buncombe voters should know
The 2026 election comes as Asheville and Buncombe County continue to work through the aftermath of Helene.
Local officials will face decisions involving recovery spending, infrastructure, housing, transportation, public safety and development.
The election also will determine who holds several key local offices while giving voters a say in races that could affect North Carolina and federal policy.
Important election dates
Here are some key dates for North Carolina voters:
- Sept. 4: Absentee-by-mail voting begins.
- Sept. 15: National Voter Registration Day.
- Oct. 9: Voter registration deadline. Eligible voters also can register and vote at the same time during the early-voting period.
- Oct. 15: Early voting begins.
- Oct. 20: Deadline to request an absentee-by-mail ballot.
- Oct. 31: Early voting ends.
- Nov. 3: Election Day. This also is the deadline for returning absentee ballots.
- Nov. 13: County Canvass Day, when election results are certified at the county level.
Voters can check their registration, view their sample ballot and find their Election Day polling place through the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Buncombe County Election Services also provides information about voter registration, absentee voting and local elections.
Early voting
Early voting allows registered voters to cast an absentee ballot in person before Election Day. Voters can use any of Buncombe County’s 13 early-voting locations, regardless of where they live in the county.
Early voting is scheduled for Oct. 15-31. The county’s early-voting plan is still pending final approval from the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Weekday voting will be available from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Weekend hours are:
- Saturday, Oct. 17: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 25: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be no early voting on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Early-voting locations
Buncombe County has 13 early-voting sites:
- Bee Tree Fire Station: 510 Bee Tree Road, Swannanoa
- Black Mountain Library: 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain
- East Asheville Library: 3 Avon Road, Asheville
- Enka-Candler Library: 1404 Sand Hill Road, Candler
- Fairview Library: 1 Taylor Road, Fairview
- Friendship Center: 142 Shiloh Road, Asheville
- Leicester Community Center: 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester
- North Asheville Library: 1030 Merrimon Ave., Asheville
- South Buncombe Library: 260 Overlook Road, Asheville
- Upper Hominy Fire Station: 1795 Pisgah Highway, Candler
- Weaverville Community Center: 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville
- Wesley Grant Southside Center: 285 Livingston St., Asheville
- West Asheville Library: 942 Haywood Road, Asheville
The county says voters also can use a real-time wait-time map during scheduled early-voting hours to see how many people are in line at each location.