News

LIGHTNING VOTER GUIDE IS ON THE STREET

By Bill Moss, Published: February 18, 2026

The Lightning Voter Guide is on the street and on the way to subscribers' homes on Thursday via U.S. mail.

We asked candidates in contested primaries why they're running for office and what are their top priorities. We asked candidates for the Henderson County Board of Commissioners how they would resolve the forever water-sewer war between the city and county, what they think of higher density zoning and whether they would support an aquatic center in the county. We asked candidates for the state House about the Legislature's inability to adopt a 2025-26 budget — North Carolina is the only state in the U.S. that has no adopted budget — and what they think of the teacher pay level and what are their priorities for the district and state.