It’s that time again!

While it might not receive the fanfare of a presidential contest, this fall’s municipal election will determine who is making decisions on behalf of taxpayers and charting a course for the future of our communities. On Tuesday, Oct. 10, Asheville voters will go to the polls in a primary election to narrow the list of candidates for City Council and mayor. The election will whittle a field of 12 City Council candidates down to six who will compete for three seats in the general election on Nov. 7. Four mayoral candidates are vying for two slots in the general election.

Xpress presents answers to a questionnaire sent to all candidates for Asheville mayor and City Council. This election guide will help voters get to know the candidates and make an informed choice about who they want representing them in City Hall. For more information about the early voting schedule, voter registration, sample ballots, polling locations and more visit our voter resource guide. The information from this election guide below will also be available in Xpress‘ Oct. 4 issue.

Asheville mayoral candidates

The mayoral candidates answered open-ended and yes-or-no questions. You can view the more in-depth answers by clicking a candidate’s picture. There is also a grid below you can use to compare how each candidate answered the series of yes-or-no questions.

A fourth mayoral candidate, Jonathan Austin Glover, will appear on the ballot but confirmed with Xpress that he has withdrawn his bid.





Esther Manheimer



Martin Ramsey





Jonathan Wainscott

Asheville City Council candidates

The City Council candidates answered open-ended and yes-or-no questions. You can view the more in-depth answers by clicking a candidate’s picture. There is also a grid below you can use to compare how each candidate answered the series of yes-or-no questions.





Pratik Bhakta



Cecil Bothwell





Andrew Fletcher



Jeremy Goldstein





Vijay Kapoor



Jan (Howard) Kubiniec





Rich Lee



Kim Roney





Sheneika Smith



Adrian Vassallo





Dee Williams



Gwen Wisler

Editor’s note, Oct. 2: We have updated the yes-or-no candidate grids to reflect the design of our upcoming print edition of the voter guide.