Politics

Here's the final candidate list for 2026 elections

By Bill Moss, Published: December 19, 2025

A crowded race for Congress, challengers for all three of the county's legislative delegation members and a Hendersonville mayoral race pitting a former mayor pro tem, Jerry Smith Jr., against the current mayor pro tem, Jennifer Hensley, highlight the political contests as filing closed at noon Friday for the 2026 elections.

Until Thursday it looked like Hendersonville City Council members Gina Baxter and Melinda Lowrance might skate to re-election without opposition. The entry of Jeff Groh and Brett Werner ensures competition for the two seats in the nonpartisan election next Nov. 3.

And filings by challengers in the final two days of qualifying meant Mills River voters have a choice in all three districts and Laurel Park voters will choose among three candidates for two seats.

In the (now partisan) school board contest, Republican incumbents Shelia Dale and Alyssa Norman face Democratic challengers Reid J. Barwick and Mary Ellen Kustin and Republican Randy Beaver. Incumbent Blair Craven, who was appointed a year ago to fill a vacant seat after previously serving two terms, did not file to run.

The entry of Democrat Doyle G. Brown Jr. in the Senate District 48 race means that all three members of the county's legislative delegation drew opponents. State Reps. Jennifer Balkcom and Jake Johnson both have primary opponents; the Republican nominee for the state House seats will face a Democrat in the Nov. 3 general election.

With late filings Thursday and Friday, the field vying for the 11th Congressional District grew to eight — two Republicans, five Democrats and one Libertarian. 

Among those cruising to re-election, barring an unprecedented write-in challenge, were Henderson County Commissioner Michael Edney, who would start a seventh term a year from now, Fletcher Mayor Preston Blakely and all four county constitutional officers: Sheriff Lowell Griffin, District Attorney Andrew Murray, Clerk of Superior Court J. Tyler Ray and Register of Deeds Lee King. 

The Henderson County Board of Elections last week announced the schedule for early voting in the March 3 primary. Voting sites are the elections board office, Fletcher Town Hall, Etowah library and the Edneyville Community Center. Early voting runs from Feb. 12 to Feb. 28.

Final candidate list

11th Congressional District

• Chuck Edwards, R (i); Adam R. Smith, R; Jamie Ager, D; Paul Maddox, D; Richard Hudspeth, D; Zelda Briarwood, D;  Lee Whipple, D; Travis Groo, L.

Board of Commissioners

• District 1: Michael Edney, R (i).
• District 3: Steve Wyatt, R; Rudd Orr, R.
• District 4: Rebecca McCall, R (i), Tom Appleby, R.

School Board

• Reid J. Barwick, D; Randy Beaver, R; Shelia Dale, R (i); Alyssa Norman, R (i); Mary Ellen Kustin, D.

Constitutional offices

• Sheriff: Lowell Griffin, R (i)
• Clerk of Superior Court: J. Tyler Ray, R (i)
• Register of Deeds: Lee King, R (i)
• District Attorney (Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties): Andrew Murray, R (i)
• District Court Judge (seat 5): Abe Hudson, R (i)

N.C. Legislature

• House District 113: Jake Johnson, R (i); Mike Hager, R; Mason Rhodes, D.
• House District 117: Jennifer Balkcom, R (i), Christopher Lamar Wilson, R; Lynne Russo, D.
• Senate District 48: Tim Moffitt, R (i); Doyle G. Brown Jr. (D).

Municipal elections (nonpartisan, on Nov. 3 ballot)

• Hendersonville: mayor, Jennifer Hensley, Jerry Smith. City council (at large, two seats): at large, Gina Baxter, Melinda Lowrance, Jeff Groh, Brett Werner.
• Flat Rock: District 1, John Gerni; District 2, Roger Bass; District 3, Barbara Jeter.
• Fletcher: mayor, Preston Blakely (i); District 1, Amber McKinney, John Brandon Olsen; District 4, Trevor Lance (i).
• Laurel Park (at large, two seats): Debra Bridges (i), Mark Morse (i), Mary Margaret Licisyn.
• Mills River: District 1, Sandra Goode (i), Jennie Case Sealey; District 2, James  Cantrell (i), Brandon McGaha; District 3, Katrina McGuire, Jerry Frady, Mike Cole. District 3 incumbent Shanon Gonce, who is also mayor, is not running for re-election. The Mills River Town Council elects the mayor from among the members.