Politics

19 candidates file for 11th Congressional District

By Lightning Reports, Published: December 20, 2019

Nothing like an open congressional seat to bring out the candidates.

Nineteen candidates filed by closing at noon Friday for the 11th Congressional District seat that will be open for the first time since 2012. U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows announced his retirement from the seat on Thursday morning, opening the floodgates for a rush of candidates. Five Democrats and 12 Republicans filed plus a candidates for the Libertarian and Green party nomination.

The last two days of filing also changed the landscape in other races, creating primaries or general election contests. Candiate filings Thursday and Friday triggered Democratic primary elections for the District 2 Board of Commissioners seat and state House District 117 and a Republican primary for the District 5 Board of Commissioners seat. Eight candidates filed for the Henderson County School Board, including former Chairman Ervin Bazzle and Kathy Revis, who retired in 2017 after 37 years with the county school system as a teacher and administrator.

Here are candidates who had filed at noon Friday (with exception ot potentially more that the state Board of Elections had not input):

• 11th Congressional District, Democrats: Steve Woodsmall, Gina Collias, Moe Davis, Michael O'Shea, Phillip G. Price.
• 11th Congressional District, Green Party, Tamara Zwinak
• 11th Congressional District, Libertarian: Tracey DeBruhl
• 11th Congressional District, Republicans: Lynda Bennett, Jim Davis, Chuck Archerd, Dan Driscoll, Joey Osborne, Steven Fekete Jr., Dillon S. Gentry, Wayne King, Madison Cawthorn, Matthew Burril, Vance Patterson, Albert Wiley.
• Henderson County School Board: Michael Absher, Blair Craven, Florence Allbaugh, Robert Bridges, Walter Doughty, Stacey Caskey, Ervin Bazzle.
• Board of Commissioners: District 2, Charlie Messer, R; Debbie Roundtree, D; Royce Canty, D.
• District 5, David Hill, R; Stephen Mace, R.
• Clerk of Superior Court: Tyler Ray, R.
• N.C. Senate District 48: Chuck Edwards, R; Brian Caskey, D; Najah Underwood, D; Cristal Figueroa, D.
• N.C. House District 113: Jake Johnson, R; Sam Edney, D.
• N.C. House District 117: Tim Moffitt, R; Dennis Justice, R; Josh Remillard, D; Danae Aicher, D.
• Superior Court judge: Peter Knight, R.
• District Court judges: T. McAvoy “Mack” Brittain, R; Mack McKeller, D; Emily Cowan, R; Kim Gasperson-Justice, R.