With the incumbents still undecided on running for another term, three candidates — local engineer Mark Cates, Haw Creek Community Association President Chris Pelly and Greenway Commission Chair Marc Hunt — have so far emerged in this year’s race for Asheville City Council.
All three Council incumbents up for re-election — Vice Mayor Brownie Newman, Jan Davis and Bill Russell — tell Xpress that they remain undecided about running for another term.
This marks a late start to the race. While official filing doesn’t begin until July, candidates often start campaigning months before. During the last Council elections, in 2009, Cecil Bothwell began his campaign in January, with Gordon Smith following suit in March.
Cates announced his candidacy at the annual Buncombe County Republican Party convention in late March. On April 19, Sadler announced he was “sauntering” towards a Council seat, Pelly, who’s run for Council twice before (in 2003 and 2005), began his campaign at last night’s meeting of the association, and Hunt released a short YouTube announcement yesterday.
— David Forbes, senior news reporter
