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From the "Mountain Xpress, 11/4/09

Asheville’s election: With 36 of 37 precincts tallied, the results feel final

With 36 of 37 precincts reporting, here’s how the votes are stacking up.

From The Citizen Times, OCTOBER 7, 2009

Bellamy, 7 others advance in Asheville primary

Bothwell, Smith, Manheimer lead way in City Council race

BY Joel Burgess

ASHEVILLE — Mayor Terry Bellamy cruised in the first test of her re-election campaign while two City Council incumbents trailed challengers in Asheville primary races Tuesday.

Councilmen Carl Mumpower and Kelly Miller advanced to the Nov. 3 general election but fell short of votes gathered by challengers Cecil Bothwell, Gordon Smith and Esther Manheimer.

Those candidates, along with challenger J. Neal Jackson, will compete for three seats on the seven-member City Council. Councilwoman Robin Cape is not on the general election ballot, but is mounting a write-in campaign.

Bellamy far surpassed three challengers in an election marked by low voter turnout. Of Asheville's 64,061 registered voters, only 11 percent cast ballots.

From Asheville Citizen Times, • OCTOBER 4, 2009 12:15 AM

Asheville candidates make final pitches, trade jabs City Council primary is Tuesday

By Joel Burgess

ASHEVILLE — With just days to the City Council primary, mayoral and council candidates made final pitches and traded jabs, some saying money was playing too big a role or that candidates were camouflaging themselves with political labels.

Candidates talked Friday about issues they said had gotten little attention, such as crime, affordable housing, loss of private property rights and local energy supplies. Their comments came in response to questions from the Citizen-Times asking what issues they thought had been overlooked or if something about them had been misunderstood.

Some said they had been misrepresented as not interested in campaigning. One candidate, Cesar Romero, said he had been verbally attacked by an anti-immigrant caller during a phone-in forum. Candidates Robert Edwards and Denise Pendleton gave no answers.

Tuesday's primary will select two of four mayoral candidates to go on to the Nov. 3 general election. They are incumbent Terry Bellamy, Edwards, Shad Marsh and Pendleton. Voters will also choose six council candidates from a field of nine: Cecil Bothwell, Larry Chastain, Ryan Croft, J. Neal Jackson, Esther Manheimer, incumbents Kelly Miller and Carl Mumpower, Romero and Gordon Smith. Along with the mayor's seat, three council positions are up for grabs.

From Mountain Xpress on 09/17/2009

by Brian Postelle

One-stop voting for the Asheville primary election started today, and voters can register and vote at the same time.

Those interested in getting a head start on the primary for Asheville’s mayoral and City Council races (no other Buncombe municipalities hold primaries) can head to the Buncombe County Election Services building at 189 College St. downtown. Ballots are available for all registered Asheville residents, and those who still need to register can do so before casting a vote.

B.C. Election Services is the only location for early voting in the primary. Four new early voting stops will be in place for the general election as a result of a recent Asheville City Council vote.

Early voting is available 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday until Oct. 3, with the polls open that day until 1 p.m. For more information, call 250-4200 or click here.

Haven’t picked you candidates yet? Check out the Xpress Primary Voter Guide online and in print Sept. 23.

— Brian Postelle, staff writer