The Asheville Blade

More later. We'd remind our readers, as we so often do, that a lot of the most powerful change takes place outside campaign season, organized directly with your communities. #avlgov

Ironically, attorney Ben Scales, who's represented a lot of protesters (and, full disclosure: represented Blade journalists) won a local judge's seat tonight.

So it's clear that prosecuting journalists and activists didn't go over well with the public. #avlgov

In the DA's race Martin Moore defeated Courtney Booth and Katie Kurdys. Both Moore and Booth ran as more progressive than current DA. Kurdys was kbown for prosecuting mutual aid workers (and Blade journalists) and ran more conservative. She came in a distant third. #avlgov

There were more left-leaning candidates (McLean, Ireland, Ferrell, DeBellot, Gonzalez) this cycle.

Given how council elections are tilted by format, though, there's three things left-leaning candidates have to do to gain ground — start early, run a slate and be aggressive — and none did. #avlgov

While Ullman's conservative in practice (and most of the others would probably act pretty much the same as the status quo in office), avowed right-wingers did poorly tonight. Far-right candidates Moritz and Wheatley got crushed. Blake also ran fairly conservative and fell well short.

If this result holds in November, Smith and Mosley would both lose their seats (top three get council seats in the general). However, due to the unusual number of candidates the order could rapidly shift as other candidates' support consolidates (or drops out entirely) #avlgov

Ullman's benefited from compliant media portraying her as progressive (she literally tried to ban feeding the poor). Ball and Burroughs had establishment support but less baggage than incumbents. City council is not popular after Helene. Young drew from past record as occasional dissident. #avlgov

By arrangement with the gop-controlled legislature, they take place in major election years (allowing Dem establishment more sway) and have incredibly short windows (less than 3 months from filing to primary day). So, it's notable that the top three weren't incumbents... #avlgov

Top six go on to November. Ball's a sitting county comissioner, Ullman's an incumbent, Burroughs ran on business/river district support post-Helene, Young's a former council member, Mosley's vice mayor and Smith is an incumbent.

In Asheville local elections are set up to favor status quo #avlgov

So, all precincts are in, and here's how the incredibly crowded Asheville city council field played out. We'll have a bit on a few of the other races.

In short, the incumbents are weak, though still weren't eliminated, but don't expect much different from who might replace them. #avlgov #avlnews

After results in the local primaries are clear, we'll have some analysis later this evening. #avlnews #avlgov

Moreso than just the despicable views of these particular candidates, this is a reminder of how even the most rancid racism isn't a dealbreaker for much of Asheville's electoral political culture. Moritz and Wheatley have largely been treated by forums and press as if they were ordinary candidates.

Graphic with an image of David Moritz and Jared Wheatley in line for a 2024 Trump rally, with the words "Two city council candidates have record of far-right bigotry" followed bythe subhed: "David Moritz and Jared Wheatley are running for office, hiding an extensive history of racism and Islamophobia

Developers David Moritz and Jared Wheatley are running for Asheville city council. But behind their attempts to rebrand as housing advocates lurks an extensive history of open racism and Islamophobia. Locals should know the truth.

Our latest: ashevilleblade.com?p=5379 #avlnews #avlgov

Worth re-upping for primary day, and taking note of which politicians this far-right clique is endorsing. #avlnews #avlgov

Community News' Lance Guyer and I cover *a lot* of ground in this segment.

Not just the elections themselves, but the widening gap between elites and locals post-Helene, why non-voters deserve listening instead of lectures and how the best ways to make change happen outside campaign season.

Graphic with an image of David Moritz and Jared Wheatley in line for a 2024 Trump rally, with the words "Two city council candidates have record of far-right bigotry" followed bythe subhed: "David Moritz and Jared Wheatley are running for office, hiding an extensive history of racism and Islamophobia

Developers David Moritz and Jared Wheatley are running for Asheville city council. But behind their attempts to rebrand as housing advocates lurks an extensive history of open racism and Islamophobia. Locals should know the truth.

Our latest: ashevilleblade.com?p=5379 #avlnews #avlgov

* Joining 2024 lawsuit (w Duke First Amendment Center) about violations of press freedoms in the case of @avlblade.bsky.social journalists

* 2026 warning letter after city hall used graffiti ordinance to threaten anti-Trump chalk artist with prosecution

A "progressive" local government, y'all.

By my count, we're now at the fourth time the ACLU of North Carolina has warned or sued Asheville city hall this decade:

* 2020 warning letter about anti-protest curfew

* 2023 lawsuit about banning activists from parks with no due process... #avlnews #avlgov

Analyzing the 2026 city elections (a collaboration with Asheville FM's Community News) | The Asheville Blade Get more from The Asheville Blade on Patreon

Cutting through p.r., evasions and outright lies can be tricky during campaign season. Especially in Asheville.

So in collaboration with @ashevillefm.bsky.social's Community News, we bring you this in-depth look at a mayoral rematch, a crowded council primary and much, much more #avlnews #avlgov

Get more from The Asheville Blade on Patreon creating hard-hitting journalism

Meeting adjourned. To support this live coverage (and everything else @avlblade.bsky.social does) subscribe: patreon.com/AvlBlade #avlgov #avlnews

Next speaker warning UNCA reviving push to destroy forest and build a soccer stadium, holding meetings in secret packed with insiders. #avlgov

Next speaker: city hall has repeatedly ignored ideas for improving transit, even from its own plans. The route that goes by my house, which is mostly full, is probably on the chopping block. Wide variety of locals use the bus. #avlgov

Council member Kim Roney raises concerns at least two of the applicants for appointment to Tourism Development Authority live in Hendersonville, not Asheville. City attorney notes that they don't have the live in the city, just own a hotel somewhere in Asheville/Buncombe.

The gentry, y'all

Budget input session concludes. Over the coming months expect council to entirely ignore locals speaking against draconian tax hikes, creepy surveillance and in support of transit and living wages. They will do the exact opposite of all of that #avlgov

Vicki Meath, Just Economics: Wants city government to return to paying all workers at least a living wage (now $24.10/hr). Bus is also a lifeline for many locals. #avlgov

Nina Tovish: Want city hall to prioritize most vulnerable in its budget decisions this year. #avlgov

Next speaker criticizes cost and threat posed by Asheville city hall's extensive drone and surveillance programs (including the infamously ICE-friendly Flock) and wants some of the cuts to come from that #avlgov

Speaker from Sunrise Movement: transit is a necessary service and using city hall's reserves to deal with budget gap, as decrease in revenues after massive storm legitimate emergency use.

You'd think, but #avlgov taxed locals last year to put more in reserves and not use it to appease investors.

Worth noting that at least some of those tax increases were for pay hikes for city staff. But method Asheville city hall uses means higher-ups get massive raises while most workers get a pittance.

So city manager makes more than the mayor of New York but firefighters can't pay the bills. #avlgov

Thanks Matilda. First speaker is noting constant rise in property tax hikes (which in Asheville fall disproportionately on Black communities).

"Don't y'all get it? It's hard on people." #avlgov