ASHEVILLE — City voters in northern neighborhoods played a key role in picking Tuesday’s City Council primary winners.
Voters in the south and west and those in the home precincts of candidates also helped sway the primary election.
But every one of the six winners relied heavily on votes from residents living in the north, according to a Citizen-Times analysis. The top vote producer was the neighborhood around St. Eugene’s Catholic Church off Merrimon Avenue with 1,687 votes or 20 percent of the 8,580 ballots cast in the city. Next was Montford with 1,491 votes, then the area around Ira B. Jones Elementary School on Kimberly Avenue with 1,436 votes. Nearly 13 percent of registered voters participated in the primary, an increase from the previous nonmayoral primary in 2011.
Northern residents vote in higher numbers because they have learned political engagement serves their neighborhoods, some longtime political activists say. Residents in Montford, for example, feel they are more affected by many city issues because of their proximity to downtown, said David Patterson, an officer in the Montford Neighborhood Association.
“I think there are some issues that hit home more with our neighborhood than others, like the city property near the Basilica (of St. Lawrence) because it really is the gateway that we walk through on the way to downtown,” Patterson said of a controversial piece of land that many voters say they want to become a park. “I don’t know if the people in South Asheville are even aware of it, or care.”
The primary winners will compete in the Nov. 3 general election for three seats on the seven-member council. They are environmental nonprofit director Julie Mayfield, Habitat for Humanity assistant manager Brian Haynes, Vice Mayor Marc Hunt, deputy clerk of Buncombe County Superior Court Keith Young, LGBT advocacy group campaign manager Lindsey Simerly and financial advisor Rich Lee.
North: Park, affordable housing
The issue of whether to build a park — or a tax-revenue producing building with public space on the Haywood Street property — did, in fact, resonate with some voters in the south. But it was even more important to voters in northern precincts who were interviewed by Citizen-Times reporters. Along with green space, the park symbolized many things to voters including the fast pace of development, the proliferation of new hotels and the sense that a booming tourism industry has meant prosperity only for a few.
“I’m very passionate about not seeing one more retail business opportunity downtown that will most likely be a restaurant that may not pay adequate wage,” said St. Eugene’s voter Ellen Kaczmarek. She said she voted for Haynes, Young and Lee. “Asheville can’t sustain another hotel.”
Other top issues for northern precinct voters were affordable housing, managing growth and sidewalks.
Diane Davis, who voted at Isaac Dickson Elementary School in Montford, said she supported Hunt and Haynes. She felt Hunt, who retired from a nonprofit land conservation organization, might favor development in some cases but would also look at the broader picture of city growth. She said she thought Haynes would look at the city “holistically.”
“It’s important we have a council that monitors development in the city and makes sure we have the services here to match the needs of residents,” Davis said.
The two candidates found themselves on different sides of the park issue. Hunt said he favored selling the $2.6 million property for a private development that would include public space such as a plaza. Haynes and fellow park supporters Young and Lee were endorsed by Councilman Cecil Bothwell, who was not running but who is leading the park push.
Northern precinct voters didn’t all fall behind winning candidates. St. Eugene’s residents cast the most votes for Hunt who lives nearby, giving him 254 votes. The second-most popular candidate was fellow progressive Mayfield with 233 votes. But getting the third-most votes in the precinct was conservative Carl Mumpower with 196. Mumpower, a psychologist and former vice mayor, came in seventh overall.
South: Conservative — liberal
The polling site based at Roberson High School in South Asheville had the fifth-most voters with 1,036 or 12 percent of ballots cast.
Some voters interviewed there said they also favored the new park. But there were a host of other issues on their minds including the environment, a better bus system, safer roads and the need for a council member from the city’s south. There also was an ideological split among some interviewed.
Voter Shawn Fuller said he wanted to promote progressive values.
“Asheville has always been a bastion of liberalism amid conservatives and it’s important it remains that way, different than the rest of Western North Carolina,” Davis said.
Tom Davis, meanwhile, didn’t identify any particular issues, but said, “I’m a Republican” and said it was important to stand with his party.
Though he wouldn’t divulge who he was voting for, he said he supported conservative candidates.
While the primary was nonpartisan, Mumpower identified himself as a Republican who wanted to break up liberal dominance of the council.
North, south, west: Where the votes came from
Asheville residents voted in 40 precincts during Tuesday’s City Council primary. The four top precincts in terms of votes cast were in north Asheville, according to the latest figures from Buncombe County Election Services. The fifth was in South Asheville, and the sixth was in West Asheville.
1,687 votes Precinct 5.1 – St. Eugene’s Catholic Church, 72 Culvern St.
1,491 votes Precinct 2.1 – Isaac Dickson Elementary School, 90 Montford Ave.
1,436 votes Precinct 22.2 – Ira B. Jones Elementary School, 544 Kimberly Ave.
1,097 votes Precinct 3.1 – St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 10 N. Liberty St.
1,036 votes Precinct 18.2 – Roberson High School, 250 Overlook Drive
990 votes Precinct 15.1 – Vance Elementary School, 98 Sulfur Springs Road
Where candidates got their votes
Here’s the top three precincts for the winning primary candidates in terms of votes cast.
Julie Mayfield, total votes: 3,457 — Ira B. Jones: 233 votes, St. Eugene’s: 233 votes, Isaac Dickson: 203 votes
Brian Haynes, total votes: 3,005 — Isaac Dickson: 272 votes, St. Mark’s: 179 votes, Ira B. Jones: 172 votes
Marc Hunt, total votes: 2,929 — St. Eugene’s (Hunt’s home precinct): 254 votes, Ira B. Jones: 226 votes, Roberson: 169 votes
Keith Young, total votes: 2,749 — Isaac Dickson: 259 votes, St. Mark’s: 156 votes, Stephen’s-Lee Recreation Center (Young’s home precinct): 147 votes
Lindsey Simerly, total votes: 2,434 — Ira B. Jones: 165 votes, Isaac Dickson: 152 votes, St. Eugene’s: 140 votes
Rich Lee, total votes: 2,390 — Isaac Dickson: 206, Hall Fletcher Elementary School (Lee’s home precinct): 152 votes, St. Mark’s: 152 votes
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