On every Asheville ballot
SheriffQuentin Miller (D) · Gary Parris (R)
Quentin Miller
Top priorities
- 21st century policing
- Expanding the jail's medication-assisted treatment program
- Deputy pay tied to training
Per the campaign site.
About Quentin Miller
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.
Gary Parris
Top priorities
- Rebuilding staffing and retention
- A fully staffed jail
- Countywide patrol coverage and a citizens academy
Per the campaign site.
About Gary Parris
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.
Clerk of Superior CourtJean Marie Christy (D)
Jean Marie Christy
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.
About Jean Marie Christy
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.
By address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Find your districts by addressDistrict AttorneyMartin Moore (D)
Martin Moore
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.
About Martin Moore
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.
Commission District 1Anna V. Stearns (D) · Rob Stetson (R)
Anna V. Stearns
Top priorities
- Helene recovery
- Affordable housing and smart growth
- Children and families
Per the campaign site.
About Anna V. Stearns
Anna V. Stearns is an attorney and small business owner at Sneed and Stearns in Black Mountain, a former legislative staffer, and former general counsel to NC Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, per WLOS and her campaign site. Her law office served as a Helene recovery hub.
Rob Stetson
Top priorities
- Recycling program improvements
- Redevelopment over sprawl
- Recruiting higher-paying industry with spending restraint
Per the a Mountain Xpress candidate Q&A.
About Rob Stetson
Rob Stetson is a District 1 candidate from Arden, per a Mountain Xpress candidate Q&A. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Commission District 2Lonnie Israel (D) · Greg Parks (R)
Lonnie Israel
Top priorities
- Helene recovery funding and farmland preservation
- School safety and first responders
- Fiscal responsibility and infrastructure
Per the campaign site.
About Lonnie Israel
Lonnie Israel is the retired co-owner of Jesse Israel and Sons Garden Center, a multi-generation Candler family farm business he helped run for 38 years, and treasurer of the Upper Hominy Fire Department board, per Mountain Xpress.
Greg Parks
Top priorities
- Transparency with monthly reporting
- Responsible growth and infrastructure
- Affordability and environmental stewardship
Per the campaign site.
About Greg Parks
Greg Parks is a western North Carolina native from the Alexander and Leicester area who farms and coaches softball, per his campaign site and the county Republican Party's candidates page.
Commission District 3Al Whitesides (D)
Al Whitesides
Al Whitesides has served on the board since 2016 as the county's first African-American commissioner, per the county's official roster. A retired banker, he co-founded the student group A-SCORE, which helped desegregate Asheville facilities beginning in 1960, per Blue Ridge Public Radio. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 40, Seat 2Alan Thornburg (D)
Alan Thornburg
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.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 1Ward D. Scott (D)
Ward D. Scott
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.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 2Julie M. Kepple (D)
Julie M. Kepple
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.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 3Ben Scales (D)
Ben Scales
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.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 4Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith (D)
Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith
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.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 5Ed Clontz (D)
Ed Clontz
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 candidate profiles, priorities and campaign sites are on the Buncombe County page.
Statewide races
U.S. SenateRoy Cooper (D) · Michael Whatley (R) · Shannon W. Bray (L) · Michael Dublin (G)
Roy Cooper
Top priorities
- Lower everyday costs for North Carolina families
- Protect health care access, building on Medicaid expansion
- Invest in public schools and workforce training
About Roy Cooper
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.
Michael Whatley
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
About Michael Whatley
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.
Shannon W. Bray
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.
About Shannon W. Bray
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.
Michael Dublin
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.
About Michael Dublin
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.
Supreme Court Associate Justice, Seat 01Anita Earls (D) · Sarah Stevens (R)
Anita Earls
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.
About Anita Earls
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.
Sarah Stevens
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.
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 01John S. Arrowood (D) · Michael C. Byrne (R)
John S. Arrowood
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.
Michael C. Byrne
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.
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 02Tobias (Toby) Hampson (D) · George Cooper Bell (R)
Tobias (Toby) Hampson
Top priorities
- Keeping judges with Court of Appeals experience on the bench
- Defending the rule of law
Per the NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide.
About Tobias (Toby) Hampson
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.
George Cooper Bell
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.
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 03Christine Marie Walczyk (D) · Craig Collins (R)
Christine Marie Walczyk
Top priorities
- Protecting individual liberties and equal access to justice
- Maintaining an independent judiciary
Per the NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide.
About Christine Marie Walczyk
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.
Craig Collins
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.
North Carolina voters also decide 3 statewide ballot measures.
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
City boundaries and ZIP codes from the U.S. Census Bureau (2024 Gazetteer, 2020 ZCTA relationships). Candidate fields follow official election office filings; confirm with the North Carolina election office before voting.
