On March 3, incumbent Lisa Loftis and Republican challengers Jason Lambert and Josh Oliver will compete in the Republican primaries for the Swain County Board of Education. The candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the General Election, where they’ll face Democrats Brandy Monteith and Dannie Shuler in a bid for two seats currently held by Loftis and Republican Robert Taylor, who is not seeking reelection. 

“The Eastern Band of the Cherokee is this island … And they sell pot. And I have no problem with that. What I have a problem with is some of their actions or activities that are, I think, concerning me that actually speak to the broader issue here about marijuana and what we ultimately do with it,” said Sen. Thom Tillis at an Oct. 7 Senate Judiciary Committee meeting. 

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. 

The utter guile of this state’s GOP leaders to rig elections in their favor should cause a hue and cry from honorable, ordinary taxpaying citizens of all political stripes. But when it comes to partisanship, these are not ordinary times, which is an understatement of almost comical proportions. 

The seemingly indiscriminate closure of an early voting site at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee prior to the March 3, 2026, Primary Election by the Republican-majority Jackson County Board of Elections has students of all political stripes up in arms and the university’s chancellor refusing to speak out on what critics of the proposal are calling voter suppression. 

To the Editor:

Donald Trump has exerted power as no previous president has in our history. His actions raise a chilling question. Is Peggy Noonan right? She recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal that our republic is in jeopardy because of the actions of our president.

Western North Carolina voters turned out in strong numbers across municipal races this year, deciding contests that will shape local recovery, infrastructure and growth for years to come. 

In Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, ballots featured a mix of incumbents and newcomers in competitive races that reflected both the challenges and the momentum of a region still rebuilding from repeated disasters — a region where voters think they’ve now chosen the right people to move it forward. 

In-person early voting continues through Saturday, Nov. 1. Voters can vote in-person at their county board of elections and are able to register to vote the same day if necessary. 

Hours of operation can vary among polling places. Voters can find their polling place and the operating hours by checking voter registration at vt.ncsbe.gov. 

On Oct. 1, Republican-controlled Congress shut down the federal government, bringing a renewed round of confusion, finger-pointing and uncertainty to tourism-reliant Southern Appalachia — a region still paying the price for generational poverty, and still struggling with recovery from Hurricane Helene more than one year ago.  

Like many municipalities this year, Franklin will have competitive races on its ballot, as five people are running for three council seats and two men will square off to see who will be the town’s next mayor. 

Voters had a chance on Sept. 25 to attend a forum featuring each of the candidates, during which they were asked questions that allowed them talk about their backgrounds and some of the most pressing issues facing the town.