ASHEVILLE — Six candidates secured spots in November's Asheville City Council general election after Tuesday's primary winnowed a field of more than 20 contenders down to the finalists who will compete for three open seats.
Drew Ball led all vote-getters with 16.54 percent, or 10,145 votes, followed closely by incumbent Maggie Ullman at 16.24 percent with 9,960 votes. Jeffrey Burroughs placed third at 7 percent, with former council member Keith Young at 6.50 percent, incumbent S. Antanette Mosley at 6.34 percent, and incumbent Sheneika E. Smith at 6.15 percent rounding out the field of six.
The results set up a November contest that will blend experienced voices — Ullman, Mosley, and Smith all currently serve on council — with challengers and former officials including Ball, Burroughs, and Young, who has previously held a council seat.
Candidates across the ideological spectrum focused their campaigns on housing affordability, accountability over tourism development funding, improvements to public transit, and the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene, which devastated the region in fall 2024.
Asheville City Council consists of seven members, with the three seats up this cycle representing a significant opportunity to reshape the body's direction as the city navigates one of its most consequential periods of rebuilding and planning in recent memory.
Buncombe County election officials are scheduled to certify the official canvass on March 13. Turnout figures and remaining provisional ballots will be incorporated into the final certified results.
City leaders have emphasized that the November election will carry particular weight as Asheville continues to grapple with decisions about federal recovery dollars, housing development priorities, and long-term infrastructure investments tied to the Helene recovery effort.