ASHEVILLE – And you thought 15 major Republican candidates for president was a lot.
Four last-day filings Friday brought the number of candidates for City Council this year to a whopping 16.
Filing Friday were Richard Liston, a former university professor; John Miall, a former city employee who ran unsuccessfully for mayor two years ago; Planning and Zoning Commission member Holly Shriner and Dee Williams, a businesswoman who lost previous bids for council. None had announced their plans this year before Friday, the last day to get in the race.
Not filing was Jonathan Wainscott, an unsuccessful candidate in 2013 who had announced plans earlier this year to seek a seat. He has been arrested four times over a roughly two-month span.
The large number of candidates for three seats on council is a big jump from 2013, when only eight people sought four seats up for grabs that year, but city voters have faced long ballots before. There were 14 candidates on the 2007 ballot, for instance.
Candidates who filed before Friday are Corey Atkins, Joe Grady, Brian Haynes, Marc Hunt, Rich Lee, Julie Mayfield, Ken Michalove, Grant Millin, Carl Mumpower, Lavonda Nicole Payne, Lindsey Simerly and Keith Young.
Hunt is the only incumbent in the field, although Mumpower served on council previously. Councilmen Jan Davis and Chris Pelly both decided not to seek another term on council.
An Oct. 6 primary will narrow the field to six candidates. The general election will be Nov. 3.
Until then, candidates will have to work hard to connect with enough voters to get themselves over the first threshold, said Bill Sabo, a retired UNC Asheville political science professor who still lives in the city.
Especially for those with little name recognition, “The real challenge is going to be … to do something that will stand out,” he said.
A large candidate field sometimes indicates general dissatisfaction with a city government, Sabo said, but he said that doesn’t seem to be the case this year, although some candidates do say they want to see a change in direction.
“There seems to be no common thread in their concerns. Everybody has a personal interest in a particular issue or issues,” he said.
Liston has been a professional trombonist and taught computer science. He’s now trying to start an alternative college in the city.
He said he’s running partly because of concerns about the balance between tourism and other parts of the local economy and with growth in traffic.
Miall is a consultant after a lengthy career with the city. His last city job was as risk manager.
He said city government spending is “not sustainable” and he’s running because “my passion for government has not changed (since 2013). The things I wanted changed have not happened.”
Shriner could not be reached for comment.
Williams has run unsuccessfully for council before, most recently in 2007.
She said she would use her experience in business and economic development to control city spending and avoid tax and fee increases.
In other Buncombe County municipalities, the close of the filing period ensured that Montreat will have a new mayor, as incumbent Letta Jean Taylor did not seek re-election. Tim Helms is the only candidate for the job.
Biltmore Forest will have a mayoral contest as incumbent George Goosman III will face challenger Jim Taylor. Woodfin won’t: Mayor Jerry VeHaun was the only person to file for the job.
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