Good day and welcome to DKos Asheville. This is the weekly DKos Asheville Open Thread for Saturday, February 15th, 2020.
We offer this space every weekend to share what we're up to in Western North Carolina and beyond.
DKos Asheville and other local and state groups can give us all a better sense of connection, a better understanding of who we stand with, work with and share with. We hope this local and wider community can help leverage our orange passion for progressive politics to move the country forward.
Following is the Daily Kos Mission Statement and we are proud to be part of this movement, on the keyboards and on the ground.
Daily Kos fights for a progressive America by empowering its community and allies with information and tools to directly impact the political process.
Thanks for reading and contributing, the floor is yours.
Please jump the fold for local election and beer news.
DKos Asheville, sharing local since 2011
Asheville Citizen Times
This is an easy-to-use voter guide for the March 3 primary elections affecting Asheville and other parts of Western North Carolina.
Early voting is Feb. 13-29. Winners advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
The listing includes candidates for City Council, the General Assembly and U.S. House. It also shows the statewide race for lieutenant governor, which features local candidate Terry Van Duyn of Biltmore Forest.
More: Primary election: Voter guide to Republican 11th District U.S. House candidates
More: Primary election: Voter guide to Democratic 11th District U.S. House candidates
U.S. House District 11
Incumbent Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Transylvania, is not seeking reelection. The newly drawn district covers the state's 16 westernmost counties — including Buncombe — plus half of Rutherford.
Democratic primary
Republican primary
- Lynda Bennett, Maggie Valley
- Matthew Burril (Dropped out Jan. 20, though name remains on ballot.)
- Jim Davis, Franklin
- Chuck Archerd, Asheville
- Dan Driscoll, Winston Salem
- Joey Osborne, Hickory
- Steven Fekete Jr., Lenoir
- Dillon S. Gentry, Banner Elk
- Wayne King, Kings Mountain
- Madison Cawthorn, Rugby
- Vance Patterson, Morganton
- Albert Wiley Jr., Atlantic Beach
Other (Facing no primary opponents.)
- Tamara Zwinak (Green), Franklin
- Tracey DeBruhl (Libertarian), Reynolds
Lieutenant governor
Democratic primary
- Bill Toole, Charlotte
- Terry Van Duyn, Biltmore Forest
- Yvonne Lewis Holley, Raleigh
- Chaz Beasley, Charlotte
- Allen Thomas, Raeford
- Ron Newton, Durham
Republican primary
- Mark Robinson, Greensboro
- Deborah Cochran, Mount Airy
- Andy Wells, Hickory
- Greg Gebhardt, Holly Springs
- Renee Ellmers, Dunn
- Scott Stone, Charlotte
- Buddy Bengel, New Bern
- John L. Ritter, Seagrove
- Mark Johnson, Raleigh
N.C. Senate District 48
Three Democrats are competing to face an incumbent Republican with no primary opponent. The newly drawn district covers Henderson and Transylvania counties plus eastern Buncombe.
Democratic primary
Other (Facing no primary opponent)
N.C. Senate District 49
Incumbent Democrat Terry Van Duyn of Biltmore Forest is not seeking reelection in order to run for lieutenant governor. Three Democrats and one Republican are in the race. The newly drawn district covers western and central Buncombe County including Asheville.
Democratic primary
Other (Facing no primary opponent.)
N.C. House District 114
There is no primary in this district which covers Buncombe County's northwest and central north including part of Asheville.
- Susan C. Fisher (D), Asheville - incumbent
- Lyndon John Smith (Libertarian), Leicester
- Tim Hyatt (R), Leicester
N.C. House District 115
There is no primary in this district which covers southwestern Buncombe County including part of Asheville.
- John Ager (D), Fairview - incumbent
- Mark Crawford (R), Black Mountain
N.C. House District 116
There is no primary in this district which covers eastern Buncombe County, including part of Asheville.
- Brian Turner (D), Biltmore Forest - incumbent
- Eric Burns (R), Candler
N.C. District Court Judge District 28 Seat 6
- Andrea Dray (D), Asheville
N.C. District Court Judge District 28 Seat 7
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair
There is no primary in this countywide race.
Board of Commissioners District 1
There is no incumbent in this newly drawn district that covers Buncombe County's northwest and central north including part of Asheville. Two Democrats are competing to face the one Republican in the general election.
Democratic primary
Other
Board of Commissioners District 2
This newly drawn district covers southwestern Buncombe County, including part of Asheville. Incumbent Mike Friar died Feb. 2. His name will remain on the March 3 Republican primary ballot, but any votes for him will go uncounted.
Read: Mike Fryar, Buncombe County Commissioner, dies at 72
Board of Commissioners District 3
Two Democrats will compete to face an incumbent Republican with no primary opponent. The newly drawn district covers eastern Buncombe County including part of Asheville.
Buncombe County Register of Deeds
- Drew Reisinger (D), Asheville
Asheville City Council
Nine are competing in this nonpartisan race, including one incumbent. Voters get to pick up to three candidates. The top six vote-getters advance to the general election.
Those who are running as unaffiliated candidates in any races are not included in this list. These individuals do not sign up during the standard filing period. Instead, they are required to collect signatures from 4% of voters by the primary election to qualify for the general election.
Mountain Express
Breathe deep. As primary elections approach on Tuesday, March 3, much of the proverbial political oxygen is being burned in the fiery contest to determine a Democratic presidential candidate — the eventual challenger to Republican President Donald Trump in November’s general election.
But when it comes to the day-to-day decisions that determine how the government affects Western North Carolina residents, there’s much at stake in the races farther down the ballot. Candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, N.C. General Assembly, Buncombe County Board of Commissioners and Asheville City Council are specifically tasked with making life better for the people who live in these mountains.
Mountain Xpress reached out to every candidate running in a contested primary for these locally focused positions. Every hopeful for the same office received the same set of questions, with slight variations in those posed to Republican and Democratic candidates in partisan races. Through multiple emails and phone calls, Xpress confirmed that every candidate was aware of this effort and had the opportunity to submit their answers.
Xpress is publishing the results of those questionnaires to help WNC’s voters make informed decisions about the people who will represent their interests. Early voting begins on Thursday, Feb. 13, and the Buncombe County Board of Elections has more information about when and where to vote. Voters registered with a party must vote in that party’s primary, but unaffiliated voters can request any primary ballot.
Responses from candidates for each contested primary race are available at the pages linked below:
Previous Xpress coverage of the 2020 election season is available at the pages linked below:
Mountain Express
As the local craft beverage community has grown, so too has the number of married couples working at the same brewery. Some share a ride to work, grab lunch together and, at the end of the day, can conveniently enjoy a pint with each other. But balancing home and work life with one’s spouse brings a distinct set of challenges, especially for those who occupy the same office.
With Valentine’s Day coming up, Xpress asked a few of these couples how they make it all work.
Erica and Joey Justice met on the job at Highland Brewing Co., where she worked in quality assurance and he was the head brewer. Married for nearly five years now, they left Highland to open Sweeten Creek Brewing in late 2015. He’s head of operations, and she handles the bookkeeping and considers herself a Jill of all trades, filling in as needed in the tasting room and around the brewery.
Brandi and Greig Hillman have been married for 10 years. Before establishing Hillman Beer with Greig’s brother Brad Hillman in 2017, they operated Subway sandwich shops in Asheville, Black Mountain and Old Fort. The couple still owns the Subway in Old Fort, the town where they’re currently building a production brewery, though, as Brandi notes, “Beer is way more fun than sandwiches.”
Eeva and Trace Redmond share a workplace at Highland Brewing, where he develops new beers as the brewing innovation manager, and she oversees public relations, community outreach and charitable giving. They’ve been married three years, and both previously worked for Roak Brewing Co. in Detroit, though when Eeva’s current position became available, she was hesitant to apply.
At Asheville Brewing Co., Pete Langheinrich is the head brewer while his wife, Amanda, is the brewery’s merchandise manager. They’ve been married seven years — he brewed a beer for their wedding — and they see a lot of each other at the downtown Coxe Avenue brewery. “We get to take a lot of lunch breaks together,” Amanda says.
Ginger’s Revenge brewery co-owners Cristina and David Ackley share an office. Their three-year wedding anniversary is in April, but they’ve been together for 11 years. He is CEO, brewmaster, sales manager and distribution manager for the ginger beer brewery, and she focuses on front-of-house operations.
Thanks again!