Primary election will determine next Haywood Clerk of Court

While some Haywood County voters will head to the polls May 8 asking themselves who they’re going to vote for, many of those same voters may be asking themselves an altogether different question — what the heck does the Clerk of Superior Court even do?

Jackson sheriff candidates vie for win in Republican primary

Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall may be running unopposed in the upcoming Democratic primary, but two Republican candidates are competing for the chance to challenge him in November. Doug Farmer, currently a detective for the Sylva Police Department, and Brent McMahan, a bailiff and patrol officer for the Swain County Sheriff’s Department, will face off during the May 8 Primary Election. 

Bushyhead challenges Carson for chairman seat

After serving as chairman of the Swain County Board of Commissioners for two terms, incumbent Phillip Carson will be challenged by fellow Democratic commissioner Ben Bushyhead. 

Swain elections staff prepares for May 8 primary without sitting board

The Swain County candidate challenge against Sheriff Curtis Cochran is at a standstill until a new Swain County Board of Elections is seated in the coming weeks. 

Swain sheriff responds to candidate challenge

Even though the Swain County Board of Elections can’t proceed with hearing a candidate challenge filed against Sheriff Curtis Cochran, Cochran’s lawyer recently filed a response to the challenge asking for it to be dismissed. 

Passion, politics intertwine for Haywood tax collector candidates

Outside the Haywood County Justice Center in downtown Waynesville, Haywood County Tax Collector Mike Matthews stands with a slim manila folder in his hands while an attorney nearby reads off a boilerplate legal notice required when the county offers a foreclosed property at auction. 

State, local boards of elections still in limbo

Gov. Roy Cooper’s legal battle challenging the Session Law 2017-6 — passed by a Republican-majority legislature — is having local ramifications for small communities like Swain County. 

Swain sheriff’s eligibility for office questioned

Cars lined the sides of U.S. 19 in Bryson City Monday night as people tried to find their way inside the small Swain County Board of Elections office to attend a public hearing regarding Sheriff Curtis Cochran’s eligibility for office. 

Libertarians in it to win it in 2018

For the first time in a decade, citizens in much of Western North Carolina will have the chance to vote for a Libertarian congressional candidate in the November General Election. 

Several last-minute candidates added to election roster

Regional

Three-term incumbent Congressman Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, has a number of challengers this year, including one from his own party. Buncombe County Republican Chuck Archerd says he’s only running in case Meadows accepts a job in the Trump administration. 

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