ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County Commissioner Martin Moore announced Tuesday he is running for district attorney, pledging to prioritize prosecution of domestic violence and gun-related crimes if elected.
Moore, 37, a Democrat and practicing attorney, said his approach as DA would emphasize public safety and focus the court system on the county’s most serious criminal offenses.
“Our community is most severely impacted by these types of violent crimes, and the court calendar will reflect these priorities under my leadership,” Moore said in a statement. “Conversely, misdemeanor cannabis charges will be the lowest priority for my office.”
Moore currently serves as vice chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and the UNC School of Law, he began his legal career as a public defender before entering private practice. He now operates a mediation and appellate law firm in Asheville.
His campaign has received endorsements from a number of local elected officials, including state Reps. Eric Ager, Lindsay Prather and Brian Turner; state Sen. Julie Mayfield; Buncombe County Commission Chair Amanda Edwards; Commissioners Al Whitesides, Parker Sloan and Drew Ball; Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger; and former Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara.
In 2022, Moore was the only Democrat statewide to flip a Republican-held county commission seat, defeating NASCAR Hall of Fame member Robert Pressley. In 2024, he won 62 percent of the Buncombe County vote in his campaign for the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
More information about Moore’s campaign is available here.