The race for a congressman to represent the mountains in Washington is crowded with candidates, making the political waters murky for the everyday voter.

In an attempt to differentiate the 11 candidates — eight Republicans and three Democrats — more than 100 potential voters attended a public forum last week at Haywood Community College to hear their views on a variety of subjects. The candidates hope to claim the seat currently held by Blue Dog Democrat Heath Shuler, who is not seeking re-election.

“I was very interested in the Democrats that were running, but I wanted to hear from every candidate,” said Rhonda Schandevel.

Schandevel, 47, said she was surprised to hear so many of the candidates indicate some willingness to compromise.

“We do this everyday of our lives,” she said. “That is what makes our relationships successful or not successful.”

Despite the nearly two hours of candidate discussions, Schandevel is still undecided on who she will vote for. And, she is not the only one.

More than 40 percent of registered Republican voters still don’t know whom they will vote for in the crowded congressional primary race, according to an independent poll by the Atlanta-based Rosetta Stone Communications. The poll was released April 5.

Other attendees already had one or two candidates in mind but still showed up to hear what there was to hear.

“I wanted to see the difference between the candidates,” said Pat Bennett, a 63-year-old Republican.

Bennett said his top two picks currently are Republican candidates Jeff Hunt and Mark Meadows.

Shondra Grant, 42, said she was fairly confident before the forum that she will cast her vote for Meadows.

“I had a pretty good idea but tonight solidified it,” Grant said.

One woman was pleasantly surprised to find herself leaning more toward a relatively unknown Democratic candidate, Tom Hill.

“(Tom Hill) stole the show. He was factual, and he was knowledgeable,” said Sylvia Blakeslee, 59.

Democrats:

Hayden Rogers, 41, Brasstown

Background: Rogers, a Blue Dog Democrat, is a native of Robbinsville, where he played high school football. He went on to major in political science at Princeton University. Rogers, who now lives near Murphy with his wife and daughters, has spent the past five years commuting to Washington, D.C., where he served as Congressman Heath Shuler’s chief of staff. Prior to joining Shuler’s campaign, he owned his own wholesale nursery and landscaping business.

He is running because: “My experience with Heath and the enjoyment and pleasure we have gotten from working for the people of Western North Carolina. That is what I would like to continue to do.”

His key issues: The U.S. needs to rebuild its infrastructure, from broadband to roads to modern water and sewer systems — a task that will also help the economy by creating jobs. However, the government must offer some form of encouragement or incentives if it expects private companies to make such upgrades, Rogers said.

“If we want to stay competitive in this world, it is imperative that we also invest in the things that will also keep our businesses successful and foster an atmosphere that they can grow in,” Rogers said.

Rogers also said he would fight against unfair trade agreements that take jobs from the U.S. and have led to the “unabashed wholesale” of the country.

www.haydenrogersforcongress.com

Cecil Bothwell, 61, Asheville

Background: Bothwell has lived in Buncombe County for more than 30 years and is the former managing editor for the Mountain Xpress, an alternative weekly newspaper in Asheville. He has owned and operated Brave Ulysses Books, a small publishing company, since 2000. Bothwell, a liberal Democrat, is currently serving on the Asheville City Council.

He is running because: “I believe that this district needs to have a representative who votes with the president.” He believes that “we need government to do things for all of us together that we can’t do alone.”

His key issues: Bothwell said he supports the stimulus bill and Obama’s health care bill, two items that conservative Democrat Heath Shuler voted against.

“I represent the democratic wing of the Democratic party,” Bothwell said.

To jumpstart the economy, Bothwell said the country must start work on “shovel-ready projects,” such as rebuilding the state’s bridges and installing high-speed broadband.

“That is the way that we dug our way out of the Great Depression, other recessions,” Bothwell said. “There are jobs ready to be done — that need to be done.”

Green Energy projects will also create jobs as well as promote a healthy environment and less dependence on fossil fuels.

www.bothwell2012.com

Thomas Hill, 74, Zirconia

Background: Hill grew up in a farming family in East Flat Rock. He went to Wake Forest University and later went on to receive his Ph.D. in physics from UNC-Chapel Hill. Although Hill has no political experience, he worked in the aerospace field at the U.S. Department of Defense as well as at several other government agencies. He is retired and has three children.

He is running because: “I am the only moderate and centrist candidate.” Hill added that he is not like other candidates who are simply full of hot air. “I am a scientist, not a politician.”

His key issues: War, the housing crunch and “dead beat corporations” are the three reasons the economy is still sour, Hill said.

“Our economy is not going to recover until we stop these unwinnable wars,” he said. Instead of war, the federal government should focus on collecting taxes from large corporations who Hill says are evading paying income taxes.

“We don’t need to raise taxes. We need to collect taxes that are rightfully owed” Hill said, later adding that federal taxes should help fund education.

“The federal government is going to have to subsidize education because states don’t have the money,” Hill said.

www.tomhill4congress.weebly.com

Republicans:

Mark Meadows, 52, Cashiers

Background: Meadows is a conservative and Christian. After growing up an Army brat and moving from place to place, he moved to North Carolina from Florida about 30 years ago and eventually opened a restaurant formerly called Aunt D’s Place in Highlands. He later became a real estate developer in Jackson County. He is married with two college-aged children. He has no previous experience in a political office.

He is running because: “We’ve gotten to a place where we have relied on the government far too much to provide our needs. What we need to make sure is we stand up for life, liberty and less government.”

His key issues: The federal government needs to “get out of the way” and cut regulations that prevent private businesses from growing and creating jobs, Meadows said. “Government can’t solve the problem.”

The federal government can limit itself by looking into disbanding the Department of Education, for example.

“We need to eliminate the Department of Education,” Meadows said. “Take $69 billion, and bring it down to the state level, and help fund education on a local level.”

Government should also cut back on social programs that aid the poor or unemployed.

“As a Christian nation, we obviously need to have compassion for our fellow man,” Meadows said. “Does it need to be a government handout? No.”

www.meadowsforcongress.com

Jeff Hunt, 61, Brevard

Background: Hunt graduated from Wake Forest University in 1975 with a law degree and began working for Long, McClure, Parker and Hunt in Asheville. Since 1994, Hunt has served as district attorney of Henderson, Transylvania and Polk counties. Hunt is married.

He is running because: “We are on an unsustainable path. I am running so there will be a country to leave to our children and grandchildren.”

His key issues: The government needs to slash federal spending if it hopes to reduce its current deficit.

“We borrow 40 cents on every dollar that we spend federally, and that’s got to stop,” Hunt said. “The country that you and I grew up in is not going to exist anymore unless we balance the budget.”

Part of cutting federal spending would include bringing education — its curriculum and costs — down to the state and local levels. And,  the federal government should not fund social programs, which have bloated it, Hunt said. Only private entities, such as charities, should take care of the impoverished. People should not expect the government to care for them from cradle to grave, Hunt said.

www.jeffhuntforcongress.com

Ethan Wingfield, 26, Arden

Background: Wingfield, a native of Weaverville, attended Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College for two years before finishing his philosophy degree at Brown University. In 2003, he started his own technology firm, which was bought by another company four years later. His latest job was as a senior strategy consultant for Capital One. He has no previous political experience.

He is running because: “I am deeply concerned about the direction this country is going. We have got a bunch of leaders up in Washington — Barack Obama and Democrats in particular — who I believe are driving this country off of a cliff. We are headed towards debt and decline if we don’t change course quickly.”

His key issues: Most of the candidates said they did not care about Congress’ overall approval rating, just their own rating among their constituents. But, Wingfield said the gridlock among Congress is unacceptable and inhibits progress.

“I believe we have got to make progress balancing this budget, and if we continue to run off to the four corners of the room and refuse to talk with people who are of different opinions … we are never going to make progress on this issue,” Wingfield said.

Balancing the budget includes enacting corporate tax reforms that promote growth, such as simplifying tax codes and instituting a flat 20 percent income tax rate.

“I think what we need to do is lower the rate and get rid of the loopholes,” Wingfield said.

www.ethanforcongress.com

Vance Patterson, 61, Morganton

Background: Patterson is a native of Kansas City, Mo. He has lived in Burke County with his wife for 17 years and has four kids. Patterson has 37 years of business leadership experience and started 16 companies. The TEA party candidate ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Congress in North Carolina’s 10th District in 2010.

He is running because: “My campaign is about jobs and prosperity now. The problem is that nobody knows what we have here in Western North Carolina — a lot of people don’t even know we are here.”

His key issues: As a “serial entrepreneur,” Patterson said one of his main focuses would be bringing jobs to Western North Carolina. Its political leaders should tout the benefits of opening a business in WNC and work to make improvements to infrastructure that will attract businesses, Patterson said.

“We need a serious aggressive business plan to take our district to the rest of the country, to the rest of the world to pull those jobs in,” Patterson said.

Patterson said that he believes God and government are entwined and should not be separated.

“I affirm God in government — that our government is charge with defending all believers but not all beliefs,” Patterson said.

If elected, Patterson said he would donate his entire congressional salary to charities in the 11th District.

www.vancenc.com

Spence Campbell, 67, Hendersonville

Background: Campbell, a native of Chattanooga, Tenn., graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1966 and then began a career as a military intelligence officer. In 1992, he retired to his wife’s hometown of Hendersonville. There he has served on the boards of several nonprofits and worked for Ewbank & Ewbank Insurance and Real Estate. Campbell has no previous political experience.

He is running because: The Democrats have taken the country in the wrong direction, Campbell said. “We need to talk more about leadership and what the Democrats are trying to do to the country relative to what we all want to have done to this country.”

His key issues: Campbell said he has the 4C’s of leadership: competence, character, commitment and courage.

Government has a time and a place but the federal government should hold less power and the state should hold more. The federal government has taken on roles outside of what the founding fathers intended, including a prominent position in how kids are taught.

“I think they have stolen the communities’ responsibilities for education,” Campbell said. “Education is the way we imprint our values on our kids.”

And, although he does not personally believe abortion is justified in most cases, government should stay out of personal health decisions, Campbell said.

“I don’t think a government has a role in any of that,” he said. “I don’t think the government should be messing around our health.”

www.spencecampbell.com

Chris Petrella, 45, Spindale

Background: Petrella, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., received a computer science degree through the U.S. Army and Almeda College, an unaccredited university. He owned his own company for four years but is currently working as a lobbyist for economic development in Western North Carolina. Petrella ran unsuccessfully for governor of Nevada in 2002.

He is running because: “We need to fix the problems here in the district. Unemployment rates are too high; we have too many hungry kids and not enough action here at home.”

His key issues: Petrella is a man of few words compared to his counterparts but briefly outlined his views on several issues — immigration, taxes and social security — at a forum last week.

The U.S. needs to militarize the border with Mexico to stop illegal immigration, Petrella said. “I am a big proponent of having a national ID card that could be used as voter ID,” he added.

The federal government also needs to reform its current tax code and to replace personal and corporate taxes with a national sales tax, or so-called “fair tax.” And, although the federal government should maintain social security, it should not play any other roles in helping the aging U.S. population.

www.christopherpetrella.wordpress.com

Susan Harris, 55, Old Fort

Background: Harris was born in Downers Grove, Ill., the daughter of a military man. She and her husband moved to Old Fort in 1989 and have two children. Harris is a private accountant and owns her own firm. She previously ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 2010.

She is running because: “I’m the only candidate with the skills, discipline and experience to hit the ground running. We don’t have time for learning curves or second-hand knowledge. We must move forward with fiscally prudent methods that have been in practice for centuries.”

Her key issues: Because of her experience as an accountant, Harris said she is well equipped to deal with the country’s most pressing problems — the budget and the economy.

“Bottom line, if we spend more than we make we will eventually go bankrupt,” she said. Harris said she is “disturbed over our federal governments lack of fiscal discipline.”

Americans must stop electing “media darlings” and the candidates with the most financial backing and vote for the candidate with financial expertise and first-hand knowledge of how budgets work.

“Experience and leadership are the most crucial attributes to clean up this economic mess and move forward responsibly,” Harris said.

www.susanharrisforcongress.com

Kenny West, 55, Hayesville

Background: West is originally from Georgia but moved to Hayesville 12 years ago with his wife and two children. He spent 15 years as a national sales trainer and regional sales director for PCA International Photo Corporation and the last four years as a supplemental specialist with Liberty National Life. West previously ran for Congress in 2010.

He is running because: “This district is suffering. We’ve got to get jobs back in the state. I’ve got a plan for that.”

His key issues: West said that one key to growing the economy is reducing regulation and taxes.

“We have to take some of the regulations and burdens off the oil industry,” he said. Drilling gives off the perception that the U.S. is taking action and ready for business.

West said he would rollback regulations to year 2005 and cut the capital gains and corporate taxes to 10 percent.  He is also for eliminating the death tax.

These changes would cause “a flurry of investment,” West said. “This country right now is the highest (corporate) tax country in the world,” West said, which inhibits business growth.

West said his years of hard-work experience set him apart from other candidates.

“I think I am the only candidate in this race who has actually worked for a living,” West said.

www.kennywestforcongress.com

Three Republican candidates are attempting to set themselves apart in the hope of winning the May primary and going head-to-head with N.C. Rep. Ray Rapp for his seat in the state House.

After three uncontested elections, Rapp will now face opposition from one of three Republican candidates in the November election. The popular Democrat has represented the 118th District — covering Madison and Yancey counties as well as the Canton, Clyde and Maggie Valley areas in Haywood County — for 10 years.

All three Republican candidates subscribe to the main party lines in a few respects: pro-life, anti-gay marriage and cutting down state regulations on businesses. However, each has different degrees of experience and has one or two distinct issues that they are passionate about.

• Michele Presnell, 60, has served as Yancey County Commissioner for two years and owns Serendipity Custom Frames in Burnsville. She is also the wife of former state senator Keith Presnell and mother of three grown children.

Because of her time as a commissioner and the knowledge she gained about state government as a state senator’s wife, Presnell said she is most qualified candidate.

“I think I am the only one who can beat him (Rapp),” Presnell said.

A key goal of Presnell is to pass legislation, requiring residents to present some form of identification when voting. The measure will cut down on voter fraud in the state, Presnell said. Rapp voted against a bill that would have compelled voters to bring identification to the polls.

Presnell also spoke in favor of Amendment One, which would insert a clause in the state constitution banning same-sex marriage and civil unions. There is already a state law against gay marriage in North Carolina, but Presnell said it is not enough, and the constitution must be changed.

“The problem is: you get a judge out here who is very liberal, and he can decide that he doesn’t like that, and he can change it,” Presnell said. “If we change our constitution, that makes all the difference in the world right there.”

• Jesse Sigmon, 63, is a retired field officer with the Department of Revenue and now works part-time at Builders Express in Mars Hill, where he currently resides. He and his wife have five children. Sigmon ran unsuccessfully for state office in 1998 and again in 2000.

Because of his experience enforcing tax regulations with the Department of Revenue, Sigmon said he is passionate about maintaining the state’s current tax levels. Increased taxes are turning the U.S. into a welfare state and “eroding our work ethic,” Sigmon said.

Sigmon listed his time in the construction business, working with small business and his knowledge of state tax regulations as key items that set him apart from his competition

“I know the tax code like I know my grandchild’s face,” he said.

Sigmon said Presnell’s limited experience as a county commissioner and Ben Keilman’s youth give him a leg up in the race.

During a Haywood County Republican Party event last week, Sigmon emphasized that the country was built on Judeo-Christian principles — something that state and federal leaders need to remember when making decisions.

“We’re a Christian nation, always have been, but our founding fathers recognized that we had to have religious tolerance for all religions, but we can’t swap ours for Mohamed,” Sigmon said. “Nations who don’t maintain a cultural heritage do not survive … ours is Judeo-Christian religion. Everybody else we tolerate.”

“You don’t think like Asians or Orientals or Mohamed. You think like a Western Civilization person, don’t you? All your friends do and we accept the other religions,” Sigmon said, echoing a theme that has become a standard talking point for him on the campaign trail.

• Ben Keilman, 23, is a Canton resident and Pisgah graduate. He recently graduated with a political science degree from the UNC- Chapel Hill, where he was active in College Republicans. Keilman currently works for his father at Asheville Cabinets.

Although he is the least experienced of the three candidates, Keilman said he is not the least qualified and should not be counted out because of his age.

“Teddy Roosevelt, if you recall, was 23 years old when he got elected to the Michigan state House of Representatives. He was actually the most active member, writing more bills — more conservative bills — than any other,” Keilman said.

Legislation that Keilman would like to work on if elected would allow North Carolinians to opt out of “Obamacare” and No Child Left Behind. States have the right to challenge such mandates, he said.

“The constitution is supposed to restrain the federal government through separation of powers and through the doctrine of enumerated rights,” Keilman said.

Rather than focus on his lack of professional political experience, Keilman commented that he has no experience as a corporation crony and is too young to be in the pocket of big business. And, when people talk about making the world better for their children, Keilman pointed out that he is one of those kids.

“If you want someone who is going to make sure that the (future) is good for your children, vote for me because I have to live with it for the next 70 or 80 years. This is my life,” he said.

Keilman said he is the most committed to the race and is out among the communities talking with constituents — two factors that he said would also help in the general election against Rapp.

“I am the one with the organization. I am the one with the ideas and the planning,” Keilman said. “I have the energy to actually get on the ground with my boots.”

Do I vote in this race?

Haywood County voters in Canton, Clyde, Bethel, Cruso, Fines Creek and Crabtree vote in this race. Most voters in the Ivy Hills precinct do, too, but part of Ivy Hills lies in another House district so your best bet is to call the Haywood County Board of Elections and ask them to check your address. As a rule of thumb, Maggie Valley proper and Jonathan Creek are in this House district but the Dellwood area is not.

You also vote in this race if you live anywhere in Madison or Yancey counties.

Two well-known Waynesville Democrats running against each other for a shot at representing mountain people in Raleigh so far are playing fair and keeping the race clean.

But their similar platforms, progressive rhetoric and measured campaigns mean voters deciding between Joe Sam Queen and Danny Davis will likely be left to size up the man behind the race rather than the policies they stand for.

“There is little he wouldn’t say in his stump speech that I wouldn’t say ‘Amen’ to,” Queen said of Davis. “This is a Democratic primary, and Democrats have to choose among their friends. I have heard ‘I like you both’ more than once.”

The two men are vying for a seat in the N.C. House of Representatives representing Jackson, Swain and the greater Waynesville and Lake Junaluska area of Haywood County. The winner will run against Mike Clampitt, a Republican from Swain County, come November.

The seat suddenly came open this year when Rep. Phil Haire, D-Sylva, announced he would retire. Haire has served seven terms. Queen and Davis quickly emerged as Democratic contenders following Haire’s decision.

Both men lament the budget cuts witnessed under Republican leadership as being too harsh and decry Republican leadership for taking the state in a regressive direction.

But those arguments will play out in excruciating detail come the general election in November when facing an opponent from the other party. For now, in this civil race between two Democrats, Queen and Davis are left trying to convince voters they have the experience needed to get the job done.

Davis spent 26 years as a District Court judge in the seven western counties, what he calls a “front row seat” on the issues affecting people’s lives.

“There is no better training than being a District Court judge when it comes to seeing the problems people in our community face,” Davis said. “If there is a new drug on the street, we are the first to see it. If the economy is bad, we are the first to see it. People lose their jobs and can’t pay their child support.”

Davis has even witnessed the struggle over health care, when people’s insurance runs out, and they turn to credit cards to pay medical bills only to end up with collection agencies after them.

“I wish members of the General Assembly could come to court and see how people really live,” Davis said. “What they do down there has repercussions.”

Meanwhile, Queen, an architect with a side business managing a vast inventory of rental property, points to his six years spent in Raleigh as a state senator.

Queen said it’s easy for first-time candidates to draft legislative wish lists and sweeping campaign platforms. But once in Raleigh, reality sets in, something he learned the hard way his first time around.

“I have been proud, forceful and green before, and you don’t get much done,” Queen said. “I got my pocket picked plenty. There is a learning curve. Experience matters.”

Queen lost his seat in the Senate in 2010 after several hard-fought elections that saw the seat flip-flop back and forth between Queen and his Republican opponent each election cycle. Thus, his six years in Raleigh were served intermittently during the course of the past decade. Nonetheless, Queen said he can get right to work for the region thanks to the experience and relationships he’s already built in Raleigh.

“I know where the landmines are and how difficult it is to pull things off,” Queen said. “We need to have experienced legislators serving us because you get better every year. That is just a fact.”

But, Davis isn’t easily assuaged.

“I don’t think I will miss a beat when I go down there,” Davis said. “I think my experience as a judge gives me instant credibility. I think I have a much stronger background thinking through how legislation is going to affect people.”

Davis says he is familiar with the legislative process and has honed the art of approaching problems with critical and rational thinking.

“Having to sit down with folks and say, ‘Here’s where we are and here’s where we need to get,’ it doesn’t mater if you are a judge or a legislator, the art of negotiating is the same,” Davis said. “I think the best thing I have learned from being a District Court judge is how to listen. No one is ever 100 percent correct, and no one is ever 100 percent wrong.”

Davis also points to the decorum it takes to run a courtroom in a civil, respectful manner while still staying in charge.

Queen countered that his experience doesn’t stop at the steps of the legislative building, but he knows what it means to work in the private sector business world.

“I am an architect, a farmer, a businessman. I have employees and make payroll and deal with business cycles,” Queen said.

Do or die county

While Queen and Davis are both from Waynesville, the race will likely be fought and won in Jackson County — clearly the largest bloc of voters compared to much smaller Swain County and the fraction of Haywood that lies in the district.

Jackson accounts for half the likely voters who will cast ballots in the race. Swain accounts for less than 20 percent. Haywood’s partial territory accounts for slightly more than 30 percent.

The breakdown, an analysis by Queen, factors in registered Democrats as well as unaffiliated voters who typically vote in the Democratic primary.

Davis believes he has strong name recognition in Jackson County, where he served for two-and-a-half decades as judge, a post that spanned all seven western counties. Likewise, he has been serving in Cherokee as one of the three justices on the Cherokee Supreme Court and as a substitute tribal court judge.

Queen said his name is known outside Haywood from his years in the state Senate. Even though his Senate district extended to the north and east of Haywood — and did not include Jackson or Swain — his name was still out there. Queen said he partnered with other mountain legislators to get regional projects accomplished, including initiatives in Jackson even though he technically didn’t represent that county in the senate.

But to make sure, Queen is campaigning heavily on the ground in Jackson and Swain counties. He is pulling out all the stops with a series of meet-the-candidate events, complete with free food and a line-up local bluegrass bands at each. His events have run the gamut from a waffle brunch at an outdoor park in Sylva to an upscale restaurant in Cashiers.

“I have really enjoyed this primary. It has been fun, and I try to make it fun,” Queen said. “I try to have good music, good food and a good vision — the vision excites people.”

The kind of campaign Queen is running also takes money, between hiring bands and feeding anyone who shows up. Queen has a history of tapping his personal finances, spending well over half a million of his own money his later Senate campaigns.

Davis is hosting two campaign events compared to Queen’s eight.

Primary factors

There’s more than sheer population that makes Jackson a heavy-hitter in the Queen-Davis race.

Jackson County might see higher voter turnout than its neighbors thanks to a ballot measure on whether to legalize alcohol sales countywide (see article on page 12).

Democratic voters in Jackson County also have a primary contest for county commissioner, unlike Haywood or Swain.

It’s hard to predict what kind of voter turnout Davis and Queen can expect. Primaries generally don’t draw a lot of attention.

While there’s not likely to be nearly the interest as in 2008 when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were duking it out in the Democratic primary, it’s not exactly a sleeper either.

For starters, there’s the referendum on a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages and civil unions that is bound to turn out voters who otherwise would sit out the primary.

Democrats also face the task of picking their nominees to run for governor and congress, in the wake of the political retirement of Gov. Beverly Perdue and Congressman Heath Shuler.

Do I vote in this race?

Yes, if you live anywhere in Jackson and Swain counties. Also yes, if you live in the greater Waynesville area, Lake Junaluska or Iron Duff in Haywood County.

The answer gets tricky if you live in Maggie Valley, as the Ivy Hills precinct lies in two different N.C. House districts. The best bet for Ivy Hills voters is to call the board of elections at 828.452.6633 and ask them to check your address. But as a rule of thumb, the Dellwood area of Maggie votes in this race. Residents of Maggie Valley proper and Jonathan Creek do not.

The primary is upon us

The Smoky Mountain News begins an information-packed month of election coverage this week. Stay tuned for coverage of county commissioner races, U.S. Congress, the same-sex marriage amendment and Jackson County’s alcohol vote.

Early voting starts April 19. Election Day is May 8.

Voters can cast ballots in either the Republican or Democratic primary but not both. Unaffiliated voters can chose which party’s ballot they want when they show up to vote.

The Swain County Board of Elections has decided to continue running a satelite early voting site in Cherokee, but to the chagrin of some nixed for now the idea of an additional site in the rural Alarka community.

The Swain County commissioners this week approved the election board’s request for $2,600 to run an early voting site in Cherokee for two weeks prior to the May primary election.

However, the election board decided not to pursue an early voting site catering to residents in the remote communities of Alarka and Nantahala.

Swain first ran an early voting location in Cherokee during 2010 but has debated for the past month whether it was worth the cost to do so again this year. Without the extra site, Cherokee residents must drive anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes to reach the main early voting site in Bryson City. Jackson County has historically provided an early voting site in Cherokee for residents on the Jackson side of the reservation.

The Cherokee site will also make early voting more convenient for voters in Whittier, which is closer to Cherokee than Bryson City.

“That portion of the county was underserved,” said Mark Tyson, a member of the Board of Elections. “There had been a lot of community response made to the board.”

Residents of Alarka and Nantahala have similarly long treks, but the Board of Elections determined that it did not have enough time to adequately set up a brand new early voting site.

“It would be tougher to do a site in the western part of the county,” Tyson said, “given the short of amount of time that we had and the limited resources.” The election board decided to revisit the idea of a West Swain site next year.

Commissioner David Monteith suggested the election board go ahead and ask for money for both sites, but they felt it was too late to prepare both in time for early voting.

“I challenged them on it and told them they should do so, but they didn’t want to do it,” Monteith said.

Monteith said county residents would have liked to see the additional site in West Swain and that the election board should have dealt with the issue earlier.

“They could have come to us a month ago,” he said. “They just weren’t thinking ahead.”

Early voting request, take two

The Board of Elections members had to appear before the commissioners twice in the past week over the issue. The first time, the election board did not come with a clear request but instead presented an open-ended question to commissioners on which sites they wanted to fund.

“So you all have not decided exactly what you want to get? You are speculating?” said Commissioner David Monteith.

Board of Elections Chair James Fisher explained that the election board had avoided making a hard and fast request because they did not want to put the final decision on the backs of the commissioners.

“I felt like it was unfair to y’all,” Fisher said.

Monteith replied that the commissioners would be answerable to the final decision anyway.

“Would it not be better for you guys to make a decision on what you want?” Monteith said. “I would rather know exactly what you want.”

Commissioners told the election board to return once they had nailed down what specifically it wanted the county to fund. The election board came back five days later with its specific request — namely to fund the site in Cherokee but not Alarka.

When the Swain County Board of Elections first offered an early voting site in Cherokee in 2010, the turnout was poor, with only 226 people taking advantage of the new location. “That’s not to say that it won’t be successful this go around,” Fisher said.

Board of election members said the site may just need more time to gain a following but also questioned whether the county can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a previously underused early voting site. The board spent about $3,500 to run the site in 2010.

“We are letting these people down by not getting them where they need to vote,” said resident Barbara Robinson.

The Swain County Board of Elections first approached the Board of Commissioners after realizing that it didn’t have enough money in its budget this year to run more than the single early voting site in Cherokee.

Counties once got a small contribution from the federal government to help fund early votings, but the state legislature for now is refusing to pony up the required state match, which means counties would not get the assistance this year.

“It is thrown on the backs of the counties,” said Phil Carson, chairman of the board of commissioners. “The taxpayers are footing the bill.”

The battle of the Joneses is about to commence in Jackson County.

County Commissioner Mark Jones will appear on the ballot alongside challenger Marty Jones in November. Mark Jones is a Democrat, Marty Jones a Republican.

The Joneses will fight for the right to represent the Cashiers area.

Marty Jones and Mark Jones were on the opposite side of a heated countywide debate five years ago over mountain development regulations. Commissioner Mark Jones was part of the board that ushered in progressive regulations aimed at protecting the beauty and quality of life in the mountains.

Marty Jones, a real estate broker/owner, was a vocal opponent of the regulations, claiming they were too restrictive and deterimental to the economy.

He formed the Property Owners of Jackson County, a private-property rights advocacy group.

“Everything we predicted came true,” Marty Jones said Tuesday shortly after filing as a candidate. “I am running because I want Jackson County to get back to work.”

He said he’d help ensure that by working with the sector most flattened, such as builders and real estate agents plus the county planning department.

Democrat incumbent Mark Jones first ran and won election in 2006 and again in 2008, defeating Republican challengers each time.

But that was then and this is now. During the last election, following 16 years of Democratic domination, Republicans Doug Cody and Charles Elders successfully won election. Chairman Jack Debnam, an unaffiliated candidate who received GOP backing and advertising support, also won against a Democrat incumbent.

A phone message left for Mark Jones went unreturned by press time.

State Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, violated state ethics rules this month by using his government email address for personal, but political, purposes. Specifically, Davis used his General Assembly email account to send out a campaign announcement saying he would run for re-election.

The announcement touted Davis’ personal attributes and political accomplishments.  It included such language as, “Once he took office … Davis quickly established himself as a strong advocate for local government control.” And, that “his commitment to constituent service has become a hallmark of his service … ‘I did not go to Raleigh to make a career. I went to Raleigh to serve.’”

Davis’ legislative assistant sent the email out; Davis wrote the press release. State law dictates that elected officials cannot conduct “campaign from a legislative office, a member’s legislative office address, legislative email address, or legislative telephone number.”

Davis said he learned about the violation after being contacted by the Asheville Citizen-Times. The reporter asked if the senator was aware that it was illegal to use his General Assembly email for campaign purposes, Davis said. The senator said he called to check that fact, found it to be true, and self-reported his violation to senate leaders. He said there are and will be no repercussions.

“I was ignorant of the law, to tell the truth,” the freshman legislator said. “I did know of course that you couldn’t use your legislative email to raise money, that’s pretty obvious.”

Swain County commissioners will have to decide in coming weeks whether to pony up $3,000 to $5,000 for an early voting site in Cherokee this election.

The Swain County Board of Elections doesn't have the money in its budget this year to run an early voting site in Cherokee as it did in 2010. The election board decided last week to pass the decision up the chain to county commissioners.

The election board also has given county commissioners the option of funding another early voting site at the West Swain County Fire Department to serve the Alarka, Almond and Nantahala areas.

The cost of running the sites would be between $6,000 and $12,000, said Joan Weeks, director of Swain County's Board of Elections. Right now, the only early voting site would be at the board of elections office in Bryson City.

Board of Elections Chairman James Fisher seemed confident that the commissioners would approve their request and then the board could move forward with election preparations.

"We are going to appear before the county commissioners and get the funding," Fisher said.

All three election board members have declared their support for continuing to operate the early voting site in Cherokee as long as they can line up the funding.

"I am still very hopeful we can make this happen," said board member Mark Tyson. "It would be sad if it didn't."

Tyson wanted the election board to go ahead and vote last week on the additional early voting sites. He made a motion to approve the early voting sites in Cherokee and West Swain pending funding from the county commissioners.

But, the other two election board members felt it was more appropriate to simply ask commissioners first.

"I felt like Mr. Tyson was trying to create a problem," Fisher said. "It would have backed the commissioners in a corner."

Board of Election officials will make their request at the next county commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28. And, at least some county commissioners are open to the idea of contributing to the early voting sites.

"I fully support the tribe having a voting precinct," said Commissioner David Monteith. "I think they should have a place to vote."

Commissioner Steve Moon, on the other hand, was more hesitant, saying he wants to discuss the issue with the other commissioners before deciding whether the $6,000 to $12,000 investment is worth it.

"That's a lot of money," Moon said. "That is not something we need to rush into."

County Commissioner Donnie Dixon agreed that the board must meet to talk about the issue collectively but was more optimistic that it might vote in favor of funding the sites.

"That is very possible," said Commissioner Dixon.

After addressing the county commissioners, election officials are planning to meet with tribal council leaders to update them on the issue.

Cherokee leaders have indicated that they would like the early voting site to operate again this election year and are willing to offer the county Internet services and a building on the reservation free of charge.

The request for an early voting site in West Swain came up for the first time this year.

Former elections board member John Herrin filed a formal request with the Board of Elections for a site located at the West Swain County Fire Department in Almond. The location would offer residents near the Nantahala Gorge and Alarka a closer place to vote. Currently, residents must drive into Bryson City — a 20- to 30-minute trip — in order to cast their ballot early.

"It is my intent in requesting this that it will inherently make the 'Right to Vote' much easier for the registered voters of Swain County," wrote Herrin in his request. "This would as well relieve some of the workload on the Election Day for very possibly the whole county."

Which costs more, time or money?

When the Swain County Board of Elections first offered an early voting site in Cherokee in 2010, the turnout was poor, with only 226 people taking advantage of the new location. Board of election members said the site may just need more time to gain a following but also questioned whether the county can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a previously underused early voting site. The board spent about $3,500 to run the site in 2010.

Without the additional location, Cherokee residents will again have to drive to the Swain County election office in Bryson City if they want to vote early — a more than 20-minute trek. And, for those living in the far reaches of Cherokee's Big Cove community, the trip is more like 30 to 40 minutes.

However, Cherokee residents aren't the only ones in Swain County who face a long haul into Bryson City to take advantage of early voting. People in Alarka and Nantahala have similar distances to drive. Residents of that area travel about 21 miles, or about 30 minutes, to cast early ballots.

Residents of western Swain County have indicated that they would like an early voting site as well. But, a formal request for an additional location was not submit to the Board of Elections until this year.

Two seats are up for election on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners this year, and both Mark Swanger and Kevin Ensley are looking to retain their seats.

Both incumbents seemed relatively unconcerned about this year’s election.

“I’m optimistic,” Swanger said.

While the candidate sign-up period just started this week and continues until the end of the month, Swanger and Ensley were the only ones who had declared they would run by press time Tuesday.

Ensley, 50, has been on the five-member board for eight years and is currently the only Republican on the board. Swanger, 61, has also served as a commissioner for eight years.

Both commissioners listed the board’s response to the recession and the privatization of its solid waste operations among the most important measures taken by the board during their recent terms.

“I feel like the board as a whole has had a good handle on reacting to the economy,” Ensley said. “My first term there was money and revenues coming in. This term … the decisions have been harder because of the economic downturn.”

The county is operating on less tax revenue and has found ways to function more efficiently, he said.

But it has cost jobs.

Early last year, the county cut jobs for the third year in a row to help offset a budget shortfall — eliminating five full-time positions and freezing four vacant posts.

There have been 50 county jobs cut in three years. In 2009, Haywood County employed 557 full-time staff members; it now employs 507.

“I think the most difficult decision that the board did was reduce the number of employees,” Swanger said. “I think our board has done a very good job navigating the economic recession.”

Ensley added that more cost cutting measures could be in Haywood County’s future.

Ensley cited a bill being considered by the state legislature that would allow counties to combine their health and social services departments as a way to trim costs, save on overhead and eliminate any redundant services.

“Now that we have those under one roof in Haywood County, we could realize several hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings,” Ensley said.

Swanger agreed that the board must continue to look for ways to provide necessary services at an economical rate and take proactive steps to combat shrinking budgets.

Last year, the county signed a contract to privatize its solid waste operations — which will save the county an estimated $800,000 a year.

In addition to cutting costs, the board earlier this year signed a long-term lease with Mountain Projects for the Mountain Area Resource Center, which will act as a one-stop site for seniors seeking various services.

“I am pretty happy with what we have been able to do with our senior services,” Ensley said, adding that he would like to continue to augment the county’s senior offerings and possibly allow elderly-focused nonprofits space in the MARC building.

Although Swanger said most of the board’s future goals are a continuation of past milestones, if re-elected, he plans to keep the tax rate from increasing and continue to work with the Economic Development Commission and Haywood Community College to create jobs in the county.

“I think jobs are real important now,” agreed Ensley, adding that he would look for grants to fund county water and sewer projects, which could create jobs.

For example, Canton expanded its sewer system on Champion Drive, which directly created jobs, and it could indirectly add jobs to the area as new businesses move in, Ensley said.

Land planning, that perennial lightening-rod topic in Macon County, will likely shape if not outright dominate the upcoming campaign for three of the five county commissioner seats.

Up for election in Macon this year are Republicans Kevin Corbin, Jimmy Tate and Democrat Bobby Kuppers.

The current five-member board has been mired in debates about land regulation, with opponents vigorously attempting to block any county efforts toward regulations, and proponents equally intent on seeing something — anything — put on Macon County’s books.

Chairman Kevin Corbin, a Republican who will seek re-election, said the land planning debate certainly dominates discussion. But he said there’s more to conducting the county business than any single issue.

“I think it’s part of it, and it gets a lot of attention. But the truth is, the county commissioner’s role is so broad,” Corbin said. “It’s only a part of what we are doing.”

That might be true, but there’s also no doubt that Macon County’s ongoing battle to determine what role, if any, the county will play in shaping development is going to be at play in this election.

“I think it will, and it’s a discussion that needs to be had,” said Democrat Commissioner Bobby Kuppers, who filed for re-election on Monday seeking a second four-year term in office. “I want us to have a good-spirited discussion.”

Kuppers is facing competition from a Democratic challenger, Rick Snyder, and said that he expects Republicans will vie for the seat, too.

“But I don’t know who that would be, but I’m sure that they will,” he said. “I’d be very surprised if there is not a Republican running.”

Snyder said that he was running because he thought there was “need for a new direction,” with an emphasis on job creation. Snyder manages properties in Macon County. He said land-planning issues, however, were not triggering or influencing his decision to run.

One of the current commissioners up for election, Republican Jimmy Tate, was previously a member of the planning board. He only recently was appointed to fill an empty seat on the board of commissioners. Tate, like most of the other candidates, said he does expect planning issues to heavily influence the upcoming election.

“I wish that weren’t true, but I think it will be,” the Highlands resident said.

Tate said he does believe in land planning, and that he believes there are ways for the county to move forward on the issue.

Musical chairs makes Macon election complicated

Macon County’s commission race is complicated to say the least.

Two of the three commissioners whose seats are up for election landed on the board of commissioners after being appointed — not elected — to fill vacancies left by outgoing commissioners in the middle of their terms.

Commissioner Jimmy Tate, who is from Highlands, has only been on the board for a couple of months. He was appointed to fill the seat of former Commissioner Brian McClellan, who resigned in November following his second DWI charge. Tate, if he indeed runs as expected, will be running to fill McClellan’s unexpired term: the seat will open again in 2014.

Kevin Corbin, in turn, was appointed to fill out the remainder of state Sen. Jim Davis’ term after the commissioner-turned-state-politician beat state Sen. John Snow, D-Murphy, during the last election. Corbin, who filed for election Monday, is not like Tate filling an unexpired term; his would last for the standard four years.

Republicans seeking the 11th District congressional seat are trying to find ways before May’s primary to stand out and attract voters amid a crowded field of nine candidates.

Candidates began actively campaign toward the end of last year, traveling from county-to-county speaking and glad-handing.

“I think what you’ve got to do is you got to show up in all 17 counties so much that they don’t know that you aren’t from there,” said conservative candidate Mark Meadows from Cashiers. “You can’t ignore any county.”

Competitors also must line up endorsements from former politicians and notable district residents to distinguish themselves from the main field.

Tea party candidate Dan Eichenbaum has gathered two Tea Party endorsements — one from the Asheville Tea Party Political Action Committee and another from Cherokee County’s Tea Party. Eichenbaum is going into the race with name recognition, after running two years ago and coming in second for the Republican nomination.

However, he hasn’t recieved the support of the Republican Party establishment, at least judging by the three top-picks of the National Republican Congressional Committee. The national party support arm for GOP Congressional candidates has tapped Meadows, Jeff Hunt of Hendersonville and Ethan Wingfield of Asheville as “Young Guns,” marking them as candidates with promise within the party.

Meadows has already received several endorsements — among them perhaps the crowned-jewel endorsement of the race, that of Jeff Miller, last year’s Republican nominee who went up against Shuler and gained wide name recognition. Others include retired state Sen. Jimmy Jacimun and former Henderson County Sheriff George Erwin, among others.

While newcomer Ethan Wingfield has not announced any endorsements so far, he has been able to collect an impressive $204,019 from more than 100 contributors despite declaring his candidacy 10 days prior to the deadline for submitting end-of-the-year campaign contribution reports. Wingfield, a young, conservative, Christian businessman and entrepreneur from Buncombe County, could pose a threat, taking precious fundraising dollars away from his competitors.

Meanwhile, candidate Jeff Hunt has argued that he is the “only one who has a record — a consistently conservative record” as a district attorney for 18 years. Similar to Wingfield and Meadows, Hunt has touted himself as the conservative, Christian candidate who will fight for small businesses and cut government regulations that inhibit job growth.

“I think people will need to make a decision on who is the true compassionate conservative candidate,” Meadows said. Meadows is a former restaurant owner in Highlands and is now a real estate developer in Cashiers.

With three likeminded contenders, the primary vote could split two or three ways among mainstream Republicans. That could give Eichenbaum with his Tea Party backers a chance at victory.

During the last primary in 2010, moderate Republican Jeff Miller received 14,059 votes, and Eichenbaum received 11,949 votes — a little more than a 2,000-vote difference. However, Meadows contends that Eichenbaum has lost some of his footing since that race.

“Some of the advantage that Dan Eichenbaum had in the last election he lost because he didn’t support the nominee,” he said.

Meadows said Eichenbaum and Hunt are a concern but that he will campaign to make sure neither receives the majority vote.

“We don’t see Mr. Wingfield as much a competitor as Jeff Hunt or Dr. Dan,” Meadows said. “We have been, and we will continue, to out work them.”

No matter who wins, the Republican Party will need to band together to support and promote their candidate.

The party “will be uniting behind whoever the Republican candidate is after the primary,” said Dave Sawyer, head of the 11th District’s Republican Party, adding that party leaders are already looking toward the fall competition.

“You want to lay as much groundwork as possible,” Sawyer said.

Meet the candidates

A Republican congressional candidate forum will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17 in Bryson City. The following candidates have committed to coming: Spence Campbell, Dan Eichenbaum, Jeff Hunt, Mark Meadows, Vance Patterson and Kenny West.

Prior to the forum, people will have a chance to mingle with the candidates and enjoy refreshments, starting at 6 p.m.