News

Voters to choose nominees for Congress, other seats, decide city road bonds

Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at 35 precincts throughout the county.

By Bill Moss, Published: March 2, 2026

Henderson County voters go to the polls Tuesday to fill two seats on the Board of Commissioners, choose Republican and Democratic nominees for Congress and pick the Republican nominee for two state House seats. Hendersonville voters will decide whether the city can borrow $10 million for road, sidewalk and transportation safety improvements.

Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 35 precincts throughout the county. Voter ID is required. Unaffiliated voters may choose either a Democratic Party or Republican Party ballot. The Board of Elections is not a polling place on Election Day. Go here to see your precinct and look at a sample ballot.

Here is the city bond issue question: 

Additional property taxes may be levied on property located in the City of Hendersonville in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on bonds if approved by the following ballot question.
SHALL the order authorizing $10,000,000 of bonds plus interest to provide funds to pay the capital costs of acquiring, constructing, reconstructing, widening, extending, paving, resurfacing, grading and improving streets and sidewalks, including, without limitation, curbs, gutters, drains, bridges, overpasses, crossings, lighting, traffic controls, signals and markers, bicycle lanes, and landscape, streetscape and pedestrian improvements, and the acquisition of land, rights-of-way and easements in land required therefor, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved, in light of the following:
(1) The estimated cumulative cost over the life of the bond, using the highest interest rate charged for similar debt over the last 20 years, would be $15,611,200 (consisting of $10,000,000 principal amount of the bonds plus $5,611,200 of interest).
(2) The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $20.00 per year.

Elections for the Henderson County School Board and for municipal seats are in November.

Republican primary winners in the District 3 and District 4 Board of Commissioners seats will be the presumptive winners of those seats; no Democrat filed to run for either seat. 

Among those cruising to re-election, barring an unprecedented write-in challenge, were Henderson County Commissioner Michael Edney, who would start a seventh term in December, Fletcher Mayor Preston Blakely, Sheriff Lowell Griffin, District Attorney Andrew Murray, Clerk of Superior Court J. Tyler Ray and Register of Deeds Lee King. Candidates with no primary opposition are not on the March 3 ballot.

Henderson County 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.

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).

School Board (3 seats, on Nov. 3 ballot)

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

Municipal elections (nonpartisan, on Nov. 3 ballot)

Hendersonville: mayor, Jennifer Hensley, Jerry Smith. City council (at large, two seats): 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.