News

Voters send Meadows to Congress, Houston wins School Board seat

By Bill Moss, Published: November 7, 2012

Mark Meadows swept to victory in the 11th Congressional District Tuesday, wresting the redrawn seat from Democratic control after former Tennessee football star Heath Shuler had held it for three terms.
Meadows' victory overjoyed dozens of Henderson County supporters who turned out at the candidate's victory party at the Hilton Inn in Biltmore Park. A real estate developer from Cashiers, Meadows emerged from a crowded Republican field to finish first in the May 8 primary. He went on to secure the nomination by a wide margin in a runoff against Vance Patterson of Morganton.
"It's so good to have it to come to an end but now the real work begins," Meadows said Tuesday night after winning by about 16 points over Hayden Rogers, Shuler's former chief of staff. "We've got to get to work and make for a transition. As you know I'm very committed to all of Western North Carolina but I spent an unbelievable amount of time in Henderson County and they made me feel like their own."
Rogers congratulated Meadows on the win.
"This has been a hard fought and spirited campaign," he said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to meet thousands of people across Western North Carolina throughout this campaign. I congratulate Mr. Meadows on his victory and wish him success as our next U.S. Representatives."
In both the primary and general election Meadows relied on strong support from Henderson County. With two-thirds of Henderson County's precincts reporting, Meadows had won 63 percent of the vote.
"I have been behind him ever since the runoff," said Sue Brown, who drove from Flat Rock for the Meadows gathering. "I have been so impressed with his wife Debbie and his son and his two daughters. I saw them work both sides of the street at Spartanburg Highway and Greenville Highway and I thought if they work this hard when they get to Congress we're going to be in great shape."
Brown has bigger plans for Meadows.
"I'm going to tell Mark when I get to talk to him that even if I'm dead and in the grave I want to see him run for president in 2024," she said.
Across the state, Pat McCrory defeated Democratic nominee Walter Dalton to win the gubernatorial race, putting the Charlotte mayor as the head of government backed by strong Republican majorities in the House and Senate.
In Henderson County voting for the open 113th state House District, Transylvania County School Board chairman Chris Whitmire led Democrat George Alley of Columbus by a wide margin. Results from Transylvania and Polk counties were not available at Lightning press time Tuesday night.
In Henderson County voting in judicial races, Emily Cowan far outpolled William Cathey, 70 to 30 percent, with 25 of 35 precincts in, and Judge Peter Knight turned away challenger Robin Bowen 72 to 28. Polk and Transylvania voters also vote in the 29B Judicial District.
In the School Board race, Mary Louise Corn led the field of eight candidates for four seats with 19 percent of the vote, followed by Ervin Bazzle, Josh Houston and Rick Wood with Debbie Reemes Ford about 300 votes back. The race featured a new tactic by the Republican Party and local Tea Party groups, which openly endorsed Houston, a former local GOP treasurer, for the first time in a non-partisan race. It appeared to have worked. Houston, who was not well-known outside Republican Party circles, finished a strong second and won a seat on the board along with the three incumbents.

"It's so good to have it to come to an end but now the real work begins, we obv finished up to about 58 percent. We've got to get to work and make for a transition. As you know I very committed to all of Wnc but have spent nun treated me as their own and part of their fam ag community gets taken care of and the spending we've got it's out of control, allow businesses to prosper."
Meadows said.