Politics

Early voting opens for primary; new map shuffles N.C. House districts

By Bill Moss, Published: April 27, 2022

Early one-stop voting is under way for the May 17 primary election.

Early voting locations are Board of Elections, 75 East Central St.; Etowah Library, 101 Brickyard Road; Flat Rock Village Hall, 101 Village Center Drive; and Fletcher Town Hall, 300 Old Cane Creek Road. Hours are 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, May 14.

Here are candidates:

• 11th Congressional District: Democrats Marco Gutierrez, Bynum M. Lunsford, Katie Dean, Bo Hess, Jay Carey, Jasmine Beach-Ferrara; Republicans Madison Cawthorn, Bruce O’Connell, Wendy Marie-Limbaugh Nevarez, Chuck Edwards, Michele V. Woodhouse, Rod Honeycutt, Kristie Sluder, Matthew Burril.
• Henderson County School Board (nonpartisan): Jay Egolf, Dot Case, Mary Ellen Kustin, Aaron Purcell, Alyssa Norman, Heather Sowry Ray, Vance McCraw, Sheila Dale, Eric Parlow.
• State Senate District 48: State Rep. Tim Moffitt, R, Stephanie A. Justice, D.
• House District 113: State Rep. Jake Johnson, R, David Rogers, R.
• House District 117: Chelsea Walsh, R, Dennis Justice, R, Jennifer Capps Balkcom, R, Michael Greer O'Shea, D.
• New 29B District Court judge seat: Jason R. Hayes, R, Abe Hudson, R.
• District 42 District Attorney: Andrew Murray, R, Mary Ann J. Hollocker, R.
• Henderson County Board of Commissioners District 1: Michael Edney, R, Amy Lynn Holt, R.
• Henderson County Board of Commissioners District 3: Bill Lapsley, R.
• Henderson County Board of Commissioners District 4: Rebecca McCall, R.
• Henderson County Clerk of Superior Court: J. Tyler Ray, R.
• Henderson County Register of Deeds: William Lee King, R.
• Henderson County Sheriff: Lowell Griffin, R.

Some Henderson County voters have a new state House member in the new map approved by the N.C. Supreme Court.

House District 113 had connected Transylvania and Polk counties by taking in six Henderson County precincts bordering South Carolina. In the new map, Henderson County precincts in District 113 are Armory, East Flat Rock, Flat Rock, North Blue Ridge, Raven Rock, South Blue Ridge and Southeast. Moved from District 113 to 117 were Atkinson, Crab Creek, Etowah South, Etowah Valley, Green River and Horse Shoe.

District 117 is now made up of Atkinson, Bat Cave, Brickton, Carolina Village, Crab Creek, Clear Creek, Edneyville, Etowah South, Etowah Valley, Fletcher, Grimesdale, Green River, Hoopers Creek, Horse Shoe, Hendersonville-1, Hendersonville-2, Hendersonville-3, Long John Mountain, Laurel Park, Moores Grove, Northeast, North Mills River, Northwest, Park Ridge, Pisgah View, Rugby, South Mills River and Southwest. Moved from District 117 to 113 were North Blue Ridge, South Blue Ridge and Southeast.

Senate District 48 is also changed. It includes Henderson, Polk and Rutherford counties, losing Transylvania County and part of southern Buncombe County.