The Ballot Brief
28709

Who is on the ballot in 28709?

Buncombe County, NC

Reported by The Ballot Brief Editorial Team. Updated as public election and video sources change.

Fields below reflect the November 3, 2026 general election ballot as races are certified.

18 races on your November 3 ballot. Jump to:
U.S. Senate1U.S. House1Statewide4Local9Measures3
About this preview
County and municipal contests depend on your exact address — use the address lookup below for the full slate. Every race links to official sources on the North Carolina voter hub.
Sample Ballot Preview

28709 sample ballot preview: statewide, congressional and Buncombe County races

U.S. House, North Carolina District 11
3 candidates
Federal ▾
JC
Jennifer Capps Balkcom
REP
Biography
Jennifer Capps Balkcom is an eighth-generation Western North Carolinian raised on her family's apple farm in Henderson County, per her campaign site. She began her career in banking and finance in 1998 and now works as a Mortgage Loan Officer and small-business owner, per the campaign site. She currently represents Henderson County in the North Carolina House and is running for Congress in North Carolina's 11th District, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
  • Hurricane Helene recovery
  • Housing affordability
  • Rural health care
Per the WFAE.
Campaign siteFull profile
JA
Jamie Ager
DEM
Biography
Ager is a fifth-generation farmer who owns a sustainable meat company employing 25 people and holds degrees in environmental studies and history from Warren Wilson College, per the campaign site. He farms in Fairview in Western North Carolina, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
  • Cutting red tape to deliver Hurricane Helene recovery funding
  • Making healthcare more affordable and accessible
  • Restricting insider stock trading by members of Congress
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
TG
Travis Groo
Biography
Travis Groo is a trucking safety specialist, per press coverage of the race. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Full profile
About this race
North Carolina fields are from the State Board of Elections' certified general candidate list. NC redrew its congressional map in October 2025, so district boundaries differ from 2024 in the east; enter your street address with the official lookup to confirm your district. OPEN RACE: Rep. Chuck Edwards withdrew from the race in August 2026 and serves out his term; the district Republican committee nominated state Rep. Jennifer Capps Balkcom, certified August 11, per NC Newsline and WFAE.
U.S. Senate
4 candidates
Federal ▾
RC
Roy Cooper
DEM
Biography
Roy Cooper is the Democratic nominee for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat, a two-term former governor and four-term former attorney general. His Senate campaign's central theme is making everyday life cost less for North Carolinians, building on a gubernatorial record that included signing Medicaid expansion. The race for retiring Sen. Thom Tillis's seat is rated among the most competitive in the country.
Top Priorities
  • Lower everyday costs for North Carolina families
  • Protect health care access, building on Medicaid expansion
  • Invest in public schools and workforce training
Campaign Finance
$26,822,373 raised · top industries: Large donors giving $2,000+ (49% of receipts), Small-dollar donors under $200 (21% of receipts)
Key voting record
Signed North Carolina's Medicaid expansion into law in 2023, extending health coverage to hundreds of thousands of residents after years of advocacy. Supported
Vetoed the legislature' abortion ban in 2023, calling it an attack on reproductive freedom. Opposed
Campaign siteFull profile
MW
Michael Whatley
REP
Biography
Michael Whatley is the Republican nominee for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and previously of the North Carolina GOP. Endorsed by President Trump, his campaign pledges to enact the America First agenda in the Senate, with an emphasis on law and order and rolling back policies like cashless bail.
Top Priorities
  • Enact the Trump administration's America First agenda
  • Restore law and order, including ending cashless bail
  • Secure the border and back law enforcement
Campaign Finance
$8,410,252 raised · top industries: Large donors giving $2,000+ (62% of receipts), Small-dollar donors under $200 (23% of receipts)
Campaign siteFull profile
Shannon W. Bray portrait
SW
Shannon W. Bray
Biography
Shannon W. Bray is a U.S. Navy veteran who served from 1991 to 1997 and now works as a cybersecurity professional and systems architect, according to his campaign site. Bray's background includes work on systems handling sensitive information and critical infrastructure. Bray is the Libertarian nominee for U.S. Senate in North Carolina.
Top Priorities
  • Opposing expansion of government surveillance and protecting digital privacy rights
  • Government transparency and accountability systems auditable by the public
  • Modernizing government technology systems while maintaining constitutional limits on defense and intelligence oversight
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
MD
Michael Dublin
Biography
Michael Dublin is a public school educator and community activist, according to his campaign site. He filed as the North Carolina Green Party's U.S. Senate candidate on June 15, 2026, per the state Green Party. Dublin is running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina in the November 2026 general election.
Top Priorities
  • Overturning Citizens United and ending gerrymandering
  • A Green New Deal for North Carolina with renewable energy development and union jobs
  • Criminal justice reform, voting rights protection, and expanded access to housing and education
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
Supreme Court Associate Justice, Seat 01
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
AE
Anita Earls
DEM
Biography
Earls is an attorney who currently serves as an Associate Justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court, per the campaign site. Her campaign focuses on protecting constitutional rights for North Carolinians, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
  • Upholding the state constitution
  • Protecting access to healthcare
  • Defending the right to a sound basic public education and voting rights
Per the NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide.
Campaign siteFull profile
SS
Sarah Stevens
REP
Biography
Sarah Stevens is an attorney with more than 30 years in private practice and president of the Surry County Bar Association, per her campaign site. She has served as Republican Leader and Speaker Pro Tempore of the North Carolina House, chairing the House Elections Law and Judiciary Committees, and holds a law degree from Campbell University School of Law, per her campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 01
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
JS
John S. Arrowood
DEM
Biography
John S. Arrowood is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Full profile
MC
Michael C. Byrne
REP
Biography
Michael C. Byrne is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Full profile
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 02
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
T(
Tobias (Toby) Hampson
DEM
Biography
Tobias (Toby) Hampson is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
  • Keeping judges with Court of Appeals experience on the bench
  • Defending the rule of law
Per the NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide.
Full profile
GC
George Cooper Bell
REP
Biography
George Cooper Bell is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Full profile
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 03
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
CM
Christine Marie Walczyk
DEM
Biography
Christine Marie Walczyk is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
  • Protecting individual liberties and equal access to justice
  • Maintaining an independent judiciary
Per the NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide.
Full profile
CC
Craig Collins
REP
Biography
Craig Collins is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Full profile

Countywide races in Buncombe County

ZIP 28709 sits in Buncombe County, per the Census crosswalk. These seats are voted countywide; district seats, city races and school boards need a street address. All Buncombe County races (17).

Buncombe County District Attorney
1 candidate
County ▾
MM
Martin Moore
DEM
Biography
Martin Moore is an attorney with his own mediation and appellate practice who began his career as an Asheville public defender, and is a sitting Buncombe County commissioner for District 2, per WLOS and the county's official roster. He holds degrees from UNC and UNC Law.
Top Priorities
  • Prosecuting domestic violence, homicides, and gun violence
  • Treatment courts and mental health court diversion
  • Data transparency in charging and sentencing
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
OPEN SEAT: District Attorney Todd Williams, in office since 2015, is not seeking reelection, per WLOS. Martin Moore won the three-way March 3 Democratic contest with 39.2 percent, above the 30 percent threshold, and is unopposed in November, per the State Board of Elections certified list and results archive. Prosecutorial District 40 covers Buncombe County alone.
Buncombe County Sheriff
2 candidates
County ▾
QM
Quentin Miller
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Quentin Miller has been Buncombe County's sheriff since December 2018, the county's first African-American sheriff, and is seeking a third term, per the sheriff's office site. He served 11 years as a U.S. Army military police officer and was an original member of the Asheville Police Department's community policing unit.
Top Priorities
  • 21st century policing
  • Expanding the jail's medication-assisted treatment program
  • Deputy pay tied to training
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
GP
Gary Parris
REP
Biography
Gary Parris is a retired Navy senior chief with 22 years in cryptology and naval intelligence, a former Buncombe County deputy sheriff, and a criminal justice educator with a master's in strategic intelligence and an MPA, per his campaign site and Mountain Xpress.
Top Priorities
  • Rebuilding staffing and retention
  • A fully staffed jail
  • Countywide patrol coverage and a citizens academy
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
About this race
Gary Parris won the March 3 Republican contest with 75 percent, per the state results archive.
Buncombe County Clerk of Superior Court
1 candidate
County ▾
JM
Jean Marie Christy
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Christy, a former Assistant Public Defender in Asheville and Lumberton, represented low-income children and adults in juvenile and misdemeanor cases, per the campaign site. She holds a Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law, per the campaign site. Her site emphasizes fair and respectful service in managing court records and estate administration, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
  • Ensuring fairness and access to justice for every resident who comes before the court
  • Providing respectful, responsive service in the clerk's office
  • Efficient administration of court records and family estate matters
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Incumbent Jean Marie Christy, who won the November 2024 special election, is the only certified candidate; unopposed candidates print on North Carolina's November 3 ballot.
North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 40, Seat 2
1 candidate
County ▾
AT
Alan Thornburg
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Alan Thornburg is the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for Buncombe County, appointed to the bench by Governor Mike Easley in 2009, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch. He received a bachelor's degree in history from Davidson College in 1989 and a J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1996, and worked as a private practice attorney in Asheville before joining the bench, per the Buncombe County Bar. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Alan Thornburg (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 40, Seat 2. Voters across Buncombe County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 1
1 candidate
County ▾
WD
Ward D. Scott
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Ward D. Scott serves as Chief District Court Judge in Buncombe County, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Ward D. Scott (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 1. Voters across Buncombe County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 2
1 candidate
County ▾
JM
Julie M. Kepple
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Julie M. Kepple currently serves as a District Court Judge for Buncombe County, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. Kepple and a group of stakeholders created ASPIRE court in 2014, a treatment court program recognized for its high success rate among participants, per the Buncombe County Bar. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Julie M. Kepple (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 2. Voters across Buncombe County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 3
1 candidate
County ▾
BS
Ben Scales
DEM
Biography
Ben Scales is a candidate for District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 3, in Buncombe County, per his campaign site. He has more than 35 years of trial and appellate experience in state and federal courts, has practiced in Buncombe County District Court since 2006, and served as a law clerk to two federal judges. He earned a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1986 and a Juris Doctor from the Cumberland School of Law in 1991, and has been inducted into the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society every year since 2014, per the same source.
Campaign siteFull profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Ben Scales (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 3. Voters across Buncombe County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 4
1 candidate
County ▾
S(
Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith has served as a District Court judge in Buncombe County since 2012, per the Buncombe County Bar. Dotson-Smith received her J.D. from Wake Forest School of Law and was in private practice in Asheville for about twenty years before becoming a judge, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 4. Voters across Buncombe County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 5
1 candidate
County ▾
EC
Ed Clontz
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Ed Clontz currently serves as a District Court Judge for Buncombe County, appointed to the bench by Governor Bev Perdue in 2011, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. Before his appointment, Clontz served as chief assistant clerk of Superior Court in Buncombe County and previously as a county magistrate, per the Buncombe County Bar. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Ed Clontz (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 5. Voters across Buncombe County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).

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Ballot info questions for 28709

Who is running for mayor in 28709?

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Primary dates vary by state. Use this page's official election links to confirm the next primary deadline for your address.

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Data sources

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