Those who hadn’t learned through backchannels a day or two beforehand found out early on a cold mountain morning late last winter that Mark Meadows was out. 

Two Republicans and two Democrats are vying for two open seats on the Swain County Board of Commissioners this year. 

After being the top vote-getters during the primary election, Democrat Betty Cloer Wallace and Republican Josh Young are seeking the open District 2 Macon County Commissioner seat this November. 

Less than a week after cancelling travel to Asheville and Charlotte, Democratic vice presidential nominee and California Sen. Kamala Harris is ready to try again.

Longtime commissioner and current Chairman of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners Kevin Ensley is seeking re-election to his seat, as is fellow Republican Brandon Rogers. 

This year’s race for the Haywood County School Board has had a lot of interest with 12 candidates running for five open seats, including the seat for chairman. Current Chairman Chuck Francis originally had a competitor, but he later dropped out of the race.

As the 2020 election draws near, The Smoky Mountain News will continue to interview all willing candidates at the local, state and federal level to give voters the information they need before casting a ballot.

There’s no incumbent on the ballot for Jackson County’s District 4 commission seat, but voters will still find themselves choosing between a known quantity and a new contender this election season.

They’ve now run against each other five times in 10 years so there’s not much voters don’t know about them already, but the first question of the Blue Ridge Public Radio/Smoky Mountain News forum Sept. 24 between Democratic Rep. Joe Sam Queen and his Republican challenger Mike Clampitt took a more substantial purview of their decade-long feud.

During its Sept. 3 meeting, Tribal Council voted unanimously to approve a slate of changes to its election ordinance ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline enshrined in Cherokee law.