Western North Carolina braces for 2026 races
North Carolina’s Primary Election season will soon be in full swing.
Cory Vaillancourt photo
Western North Carolina’s next election cycle is already shaping up amid a volatile mix of entrenched incumbents, disaster recovery fallout and deepening national divides, with competitive races stretching from the U.S. Senate on down to county-level offices.
While marquee statewide contests appear to be headed toward familiar General Election matchups, cracks are emerging down the ballot, where public trust and institutional legitimacy are demanding attention from voters now more than any other time in recent memory.
Some western districts long considered safely Republican now show signs of strain, even as Democrats struggle in places to field full slates.
Judicial races remain largely uncontested, but local contests, especially for county commissions and sheriff, reflect communities still reckoning with crisis, controversy and accountability.
The Primary Election contests to be held in March 2026 will ultimately decide who appears on ballots in the November 2026 mid-term General Election, which is widely expected to be a referendum on President Donald Trump’s handling of the domestic affordability crisis, foreign policy, the Epstein files and — at least in WNC — the recovery from Hurricane Helene, which devastated the region almost exactly 15 months ago.
US SENATE
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis decided back in late June not to seek reelection, further bolstering Democrat hopes of flipping the seat — an outcome that could have national implications.
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Two-term former Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat who has never lost an election in his long political career, faces a field of five relatively low-profile Primary Election challengers and is expected to prevail.
On the Republican side, former RNC Chair and current Hurricane Helene Recovery “czar” Michael Whatley — appointed by President Donald Trump in January to oversee rebuilding efforts — also faces a field of five challengers, although Waxhaw attorney Don Brown seems to have strong support from the grassroots wing of the party.
“Of course, we’ve been in the race longer than anyone, and I’m the only candidate to challenge Tills [before he dropped out], but we’re in an emergency situation with our national debt,” Brown told The Smoky Mountain News Dec. 21. “That’s the driving issue I’ve been talking about on the campaign trail. The debt is exploding by $37,000 per second. Republicans need a plan to attack it, and I’m the only candidate in the race with a plan.”
Two other issues — medical freedom and “out-of-control” federal judges — round out Brown’s appeal to voters.
The late entry of Michele Morrow into the race is expected to shake things up a bit. Morrow, who lost the state superintendent of public instruction race to Democrat Mo Green by 2 points last November, has called for the public execution of prominent Democrats, including former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
If Cooper and Whatley do prevail, they’ll be joined on the November ballot by Libertarian candidate Shannon Bray, who’s run for a variety of offices over the past several cycles.
CONGRESS
Incumbent Congressman Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson), has faced heavy criticism over his failure to satisfy the needs of his constituents in the wake of Helene and will face former Green Beret and Helene hero Adam Smith of Fairview.
Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) speaks in Canton prior to a tumultuous town hall in Asheville in March. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Smith is best known for helping to turn a Harley Davidson dealership into a helicopter landing zone in the immediate aftermath of Helene and has been critical of Edwards’ response to the storm, which killed 108 people and caused $60 billion in damage across the region.
“While my team, volunteers, myself and a multitude of other nonprofits on the ground were actively working in disaster relief and rescue to provide supplies, I never saw [Edwards] until the president showed up. Then I saw him for 15 minutes. Then I didn’t see him again,” Smith told SMN back in September.
Libertarian Jason Groo, of Greensboro, has also filed but doesn’t have a primary opponent, so he’ll advance to the General Election without having to do much campaigning.
Candidates on the Democrat side have been active for almost a year now, seeking opportunity in the wake of Edwards’ failures and downgrades to his district by national observers.
Mental health professional Zelda Briarwood of Canton was among the first to declare a candidacy for the seat, and Fairview farmer Jamie Ager has been campaigning steadily since at least summer, but that hasn’t stopped several others from jumping in — cancer researcher Paul Maddox of Burnsville, physician Richard Hudspeth of Skyland and civil engineer Lee Whipple of Asheville.
This particular race has already been zesty. It’s likely there will be more spice in the coming months.
STATE SENATE
There are no contested Primary Elections for the state Senate in SMN’s overage area, but both Senate seats will be contested in the General Election. Powerful and popular Republican Kevin Corbin, who represents the westernmost district in the state, will face Democrat Tom Downing, of Cullowhee, in November.
Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) holds an emergency briefing with Haywood County government officials in the days following Hurricane Helene. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Downing is known for his passionate public comment and advocacy for the Fontana Regional Library system in Jackson County and has also spoken out on the Republican-led Jackson County Board of Elections’ recent decision to close an early voting site at Western Carolina University. The 50th District is solidly red.
A small portion of Haywood County is included in the 47th District and represented by Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell). With no Primary Election opponents, Hise will again face Linville Falls Democrat Frank Patton Hughes III, whom he defeated by nearly 30 points in 2024.
STATE HOUSE
Macon County Republican and House Majority Whip Karl Gillespie doesn’t have a Primary opponent in District 120 but will face Highlands educator and Democrat Caleb Brown in the General Election.
Members of Gillespie’s western House caucus, however, weren’t so fortunate.
Haywood County Republican incumbent Mark Pless will face a strong challenge from fellow Republican and Haywood County School Board member Jimmy Rogers for the District 118 seat, after another Haywood Republican who’d been actively campaigning, Ken Brown, decided not to file. The winner will face Haywood County attorney and former judge Danny Davis, a Democrat, in a district that also includes Madison County.
Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Swain) has faced health challenges this year but filed to run in what many people think is one of the best chances for Democrats to flip a house seat in the west; he’ll be opposed in the Primary by Sylva musician Mike Yow and Savannah Ferguson, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians planning board from Whittier.
Transylvania County Democrat Mark Burrows, a Democrat, will take on the winner of that contest in November. Burroughs lost to Clampitt by nearly 11 points in 2024, but the Civitas partisan index has now designated the 119th District as “leans Republican,” perhaps leaving an opening for Burroughs.
JUDICIAL RACES
As usual, meaningful competition in judicial races remains scarce. Of the eight judicial races pertinent to SMN’s core coverage area, there are only two contested Primary Elections. Four judges will earn terms with no opponents at all.
Democrats are keen to retain Justice Anita Earls’ seat on the state’s heavily politicized Supreme Court. Earls has no primary opposition but will face Republican Sarah Stevens in November.
Three seats on the Court of Appeals are up this cycle. For seat 1, Democratic incumbent John Arrowood of Raleigh gets a free pass for the Primary but will face either Matt Smith of Monroe or Michael C. Byrne of Raleigh in the General.
For seat 2, Democratic incumbent Toby Hampson of Raleigh will take on Republican challenger George Cooper Bell of Cornelius.
For seat 3, Republican incumbent Craig Collins of Gastonia will face the winner of the Democratic Primary between Raleigh residents James Weldon Whalen and Christine Marie Walczyk.
In the Superior Court, Waynesville’s Roy Wijewickrama will retain District 43B seat 1 without opposition.
In District Court, Lake Junaluska Republican Donna Forga, Bryson City Democrat Justin Green and Waynesville Democrat Bill Jones face no opposition through November.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Republican District Attorney Ashley Welch has a free pass to another four-year term. Welch has not faced an opponent of any sort since the 2014 Primary Election.
HAYWOOD COUNTY
Although a number of Haywood County seats are up this year, there are only four contested Primary Elections.
The Democratic Primary Election for Haywood County commission isn’t one of them. Librarian Carly Pugh, of Waynesville, and former commissioner Mike Sorrells have both filed, but Democrats could have fielded up to three candidates, so both Pugh and Sorrells will advance straight to November.
“I think that I want to practice what I preached when I was a social studies teacher, that is to say, I want to emphasize the importance of local government and participate — and encourage other people to do the same,” Pugh told SMN Dec. 21.
This marks the second cycle in a row where Haywood County Democrats have failed to fill all available slots on the ballot, putting them at a significant disadvantage in November, when voters may choose any three candidates.
The Republican Primary, however, will be highly competitive. Commissioner Jennifer Best decided not to run again, opening up one of the three seats.
Two-term incumbent Tommy Long, a former paper mill employee and district director of a seven-county region for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, will seek a third term. First-term incumbent Terry Ramey has also filed.
Haywood County Republican Commissioner Terry Ramey (left) — seen here with disgraced former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson — has had an unusual first term. Facebook photo
Ramey’s tenure has been marked by division and ostracism from fellow Republican commissioners; since his election in 2022, Ramey has been known mostly for lying — over his delinquent property taxes, his votes on the commission and during a blowout commission meeting last December over his appearance in a YouTube video that spread misinformation about the county’s powers to circumvent state law, earning Ramey’s fellow commissioners death threats and a call from Pless to step down.
Ramey has also been tied to the operations of Haven on the Hill, an ersatz campground for Helene survivors known mostly for allegations of mistreatment and misappropriation of donations. Most recently, the operator of the campground, James Lunsford — who currently faces trial on federal gun charges — has been accused of selling donated campers on Facebook marketplace.
In 2024, Ramey was investigated for the mistreatment of his horses after an anonymous tip. A Buncombe County veterinarian said the horses had “poor body condition scores.” The equine issue draws another parallel with Lunsford , who pleaded no contest to one count of animal cruelty himself in 2019.
Over the past 35 years, Ramey has been sued dozens of times, mostly for nonpayment of bills owed to vendors or contractors. When asked for a list of county property taxes Ramey still owes, Haywood’s outgoing tax collector Sebastian Cothran provided to SMN a total of more than $2,000 — and growing. Some of the bills date back as far as 2008. Despite earning a small salary for his “service,” Ramey has made no attempt to pay his overdue taxes.
Into that mess step four other Republicans — Florida native Tiffany Collins, Canton restauranteur Howard Knepper, Haywood School Board member and Haywood Vocational Opportunities manager David Burnette and retired Town of Waynesville Public Services Director Jeff Stines.
Voters may choose any three Republicans who will advance to November’s General Election and face the two Democrats.
Stacy Cutshaw Moore, of Waynesville, and Kristina Watson, of Canton, will compete in the Republican Primary for register of deeds after longtime Democrat incumbent Sheri Rogers said she wouldn’t seek reelection. There is no Democrat on the ballot for the position, so either Moore or Watson will advance to November unopposed.
Jeff Haynes, formerly chief deputy in the Haywood County Sheriff’s office under prior Sheriff Greg Christopher, was appointed to the position of clerk of courts after Hunter Plemmons resigned several weeks ago. Haynes, a Democrat, faces no opposition and will earn his first four-year term.
Current Sheriff Bill Wilke, who replaced the retiring Christopher in 2022, appears to have a serious Republican Primary opponent — challenger Mark Mease, formerly a HCSO patrol captain who now works narcotics for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal police.
For a time after Hurricane Helene, Haywood Sheriff Bill Wilke became the county’s unofficial ‘chief misinformation officer.‘ Cory Vaillancourt photo
Wilke has taken a strong stand on drug trafficking, making several high-profile busts; however, he became nationally known for his even stronger stand against misinformation that began to circulate in the aftermath of Helene. Mease has thus far run a relatively sophisticated campaign on social media, but his supporters have already clashed with Wilke’s — promising a heated contest.
The winner of that contest will face Waynesville Police Officer Tyler Howell, a Democrat, in November.
A forum with all three candidates will be hosted by the Smoky Mountain News at the historic Haywood County Courthouse on Jan. 7.
Finally, there’s the tax collector race — Haywood County remains the only county out of 100 in North Carolina that still elects its tax collector. Cothran, the current tax collector, made headlines in 2022 as one of the youngest elected officials in the state, but has decided not to seek reelection.
The man Cothran defeated, Greg West, has changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and will try to get his old job back. Standing in his way are Emily Sapp of Lake Junaluska and Andrew Ferguson, who ran for the position unsuccessfully in the 2016 Republican Primary Election.
“I’m running because the collections office needs long-term stability. We must elect someone that’s qualified, understanding and committed to the future. I’m the candidate that will accomplish this for Haywood County,” Ferguson told SMN Dec. 19.
JACKSON COUNTY
This past year has been marked by political and cultural upheaval in Jackson County, where Republican commissioners have come under fire for their potentially illegal removal of interpretive plaques on a confederate monument and their unwillingness to heed the desires of their constituents in the Fontana Regional Library dispute. Those acts — and a substantial property tax increase — seem to have energized Jackson Democrats, who hope to flip one or more seats on commission and halt the withdrawal from the FRL system.
Mark Letson.
Chair Mark Letson, the only commissioner to vote against the withdrawal, has filed for reelection but predictably has three Republican Primary opponents, David Rogers of Sylva, Jarrett Crowe of Cherokee and Jon Brown of Sylva. Brown is fresh off a loss to Perry Matthews for the Sylva commission in November but did vote to pass a resolution of support for the FRL as the debate swirled.
Also fresh off a loss is former Forest Hills mayor Marcia Almond, who was defeated by Republican Ron Mau in her reelection bid last November; along with fellow Democrat Bobbi Hopp, Almond’s filed for chair.
“I was compelled to run because there needs to be changes on our board of commissioners,” Almond said. “We need to change direction and look at fiscal responsibility and doing something beneficial for the county.”
Jackson elects its commissioners by district — something not all Western North Carolina counties do. The District 1 seat, currently held by Todd Bryson, has four Democrats and two Republicans lined up, likely due to Bryson’s decision not to run again.
John Herrera, German Vivas, Casey Wallawender and Julie Extine Painter will compete on the Democrat side, while Anthony Sequoyah and Steven Sutton will compete on the Republican side.
District 2 Republican commissioner John Smith has filed for reelection; Smith has come under fire like fellow Republican commissioner Jenny Lynn Hooper for skipping meetings of the advisory boards on which he serves, missing five of six Jackson County Public Library Board gatherings in 2025. He also likely violated the law by skipping state-mandated ethics training, but he faces no Primary Election competition. Democrats seeking to unseat him in November are Sean Bridgers and Frances Owens.
Clerk of Court Kim Poteet, a Democrat, advances without Primary opposition, as does Republican contender Rollie James. Register of Deeds Shandra Sims, also a Democrat, has no opponent in 2026.
Republican Sheriff Doug Farmer will face Brandon Elders in the Primary Election, but as no Democrats filed, the winner of the Primary will earn the job for the next four years.
MACON COUNTY
Macon County also elects its commissioners by district. Incumbent Republican Commissioner John Shearl is seeking his second term in District 1, but will face Don Willis of Franklin and Joey Wilson of Highlands. Democrat Russ Lunn is unopposed and will face the winner in November.
John Shearl.
District 2 has drawn a large field of candidates due to its two incumbent Republican commissioners, Danny Antoine and Gary Shields, deciding to hang it up this cycle.
Two Democrats, Terry Bell and Janet Jacobs Greene, will advance to the November contest unopposed.
Former Franklin Town Council member David Culpepper, who declined to seek reelection to that board last November, looks to get back in the game with his candidacy.
“The things I want to say and talk about aren’t being said,” Culpepper told SMN. “I don’t want power. I desperately want reason and logic to be cool again.”
He’s joined on the Republican ballot by Kellie McConnell Burns, Nick Lofthouse, Danny Reitmeier, Dylan Castle and Jason Salmon.
Castle, a pastor, has been an ardent supporter of FRL withdrawal. Salmon, on social media, has said he’s “not afraid to express [himself] openly about not liking black people.”
Republican Clerk of Court Shawna Thun Lamb is unopposed and will move on to another term in November, as will Republican Register of Deeds Todd Raby. Republican Sheriff Brent Holbrooks will face fellow Republican Bob Cook in the Primary; however, as no Democrats have filed, the winner of the Primary will take the job.
SWAIN COUNTY
Like in Jackson County, Swain voters elect its county commission chair. Also like in Jackson County, Swain County is in the midst of generational upheaval.
In June, law enforcement had to be called to a commission meeting after a hot mic during a closed session captured audio of commissioners threatening each other with violence during a heated discussion. Commissioner David Loftis, who is not up for reelection this cycle, was ultimately removed from the meeting but the name of the commissioner he argued with wasn’t disclosed.
In August, Republican commission Chair Kevin Seagle resigned without explanation.
County Manager Lottie Barker recently submitted her resignation, effective in two months. Barker withheld public records related to Seagle’s resignation.
Seagle was replaced on an interim basis by fellow Republican Jay Kirkland; however, Kirkland isn’t seeking to retain the gavel. Instead, Republicans Bobby Jenkins, Robbie Brown, Eugene Shuler and Courtney Dills will compete for the Republican nomination.
“I want to see better decisions being made for the citizens of the county, not a select group of people,” Dills said. “As generational locals, we’ve stood by silently and watched our elected officials get more wealthy but nothing being done for our county. I just want it to be better for everybody.”
Democrats Edward Larry Simonds and Jeramy Shuler will compete for the right to face the Republican Primary victor in November.
Brian Kirkland.
Kirkland, however, is seeking to a seat on the commission but will compete with incumbent Phil Carson and challenger Lisa Stevenson Barker in the Republican Primary Election. Voters may choose any two candidates.
Democrats face the same situation; three, including Bradley Hall, Chris Reed and Erika Smith, will compete for two slots on the November ballot.
Word is, two or even three unaffiliated candidates are actively working to gather signatures for their own candidacies. Filing for unaffiliated candidates is March 6, 2026.
Shortly after the commission conflagration and shortly before Seagle’s resignation, Swain County’s longtime Republican sheriff Curtis Cochran resigned from office after credible allegations of sexual misconduct were leveled against him.
Republican Brian Kirkland was appointed interim sheriff and will seek a full four-year term. He’s opposed in the Primary by Wayne Dover.
Democrats have put forth two candidates, David Southards and Douglas “Tank” Anthony.
Swain’s Clerk of Superior Court race isn’t much of a race; it features only one candidate, Republican Allyson Wike Barnes. Ditto for the Register of Deeds — Democrat Diana Williamson Kirkland is likewise unopposed.
Swain County also has two board of education seats up this year, currently held by Republicans Lisa Stoltzfus Loftis and Robert Taylor. Taylor is not seeking reelection, but Loftis is.
“I just want to continue to serve the Swain County community, the parents and the students for another four years and be available for them for any questions, concerns or help I can give them,” Loftis said.
Loftis will face fellow Republicans Jason Lambert and Josh Oliver. Voters may choose two.
Dannie Shuler and Brandy Monteith, both Democrats, have also filed but will advance directly to November, when voters will be able to choose any two of the four candidates.
The 2026 Primary Election will be held on March 3, 2026, but early voting begins Feb. 12, 2026. Absentee balloting begins on Jan. 12. The deadline to register to vote is Feb. 6, although same-day registration is available during early voting — but not on Election Day.
Unaffiliated candidates must file petitions and signatures no later than noon on March 3.
The 2026 General Election will be held on Nov. 3, 2026.
To learn more about voting, to check your party affiliation or find your polling place, visit ncsbe.gov.
Look for full campaign coverage from The Smoky Mountain News beginning in January.
