Asheville NC City Gov. finally tips progressive!

wooo hooo!

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051109/NEWS01/51109005/1001&theme=ELECTIONSEASON

(Mumpower is bad news but the other two are progressive. Also progressive Freeborn who finished fourth now has a chance to fill Bellamy's council seat.
That would make for a fairly progressive council in Asheville at long last!)

Jones, Cape, Mumpower picked for City Council
by Mark Barrett , and Angie Newsome, STAFF WRITERS

published November 9, 2005 6:00 am

ASHEVILLE — Voters on Tuesday boosted efforts to more closely regulate growth, easily returning Holly Jones to a second term on Asheville City Council and choosing another council candidate who has backed tougher development policies, Robin Cape.

Jones led the six candidates for the three seats on council that were up for grabs, other than the mayor’s slot, with 11,642 votes. Cape won her first bid for a council seat with 9,737 and Carl Mumpower won a second term by finishing third with 8,498.

<snip>
Next in line was Bryan Freeborn, a 29-year-old carpenter whose fourth-place finish with 7,319 votes will give him a leg up in the next contest — a council decision on who should fill Terry Bellamy’s remaining term on council. Bellamy vacates the seat because of her victory in the mayor’s race.

“I don’t know what council’s going to do and that’s up to them, although I think the spread between me and the fifth-place candidate is pretty phenomenal,” Freeborn said.


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http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051109/NEWS01/51109003&theme=ELECTIONSEASON

Bellamy wins: Asheville elects first African-American mayor

by John Boyle, SENIOR WRITER
published November 9, 2005 6:00 am

ASHEVILLE — Terry Bellamy’s introduction at her post-election party said it all Tuesday night.

“I am Terry Bellamy, and I thank you for your support,” she said. “I am the mayor-elect of Asheville, North Carolina.”

That last part — spoken slowly and emphatically — brought down the packed house at her campaign headquarters in South Asheville.

In a decisive and historic victory, Bellamy became the first African-American to win the mayor’s office in Asheville, a city incorporated 208 years ago. With 10,534 votes, or 56.8 percent, Bellamy handily defeated her challenger, fellow Councilman Joe Dunn, who garnered 8,004 votes, or 43.2 percent, according to unofficial results.

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I would have liked to have moved there from Greensboro, but couldn't find a job... maybe some day.

such a good progressive town has been saddled with such regressive old-boy politics. The last election was pretty abysmal. Developers who had been stopped twice from building Walmart Supercenters, started a PAC which contributed $$$ to regressive candidates and the progressive candidate for mayor was smeared at that last moment by a RW newspaper.

This will be the best City Council we have had in a while.
Mumpower and Dunn are now in the minority!

I live in the area and was pumped to go vote for asheville mayor and city council, though there was one problem. We recently moved and we are now located just barely inside Woodfin, I thought we were still in asheville. So in the end we voted for woodfin aldermans and waterboard members. The woodfin canidate for mayor was running uncontested.


but I am very happy for asheville. It would have been nice if Mumpower had gotten the boot, but I am very happy Terry is the new mayor.

yay!

:applause:

Is North Carolina drinking less kool-aid these days?

I heard a story yesterday about a right-wing couple who are trying to sell their restaurant in Asheville, to move to more conservative Greenville, SC. I love it that they can't stand the liberal heat and must abandon their kitchen, but I am not happy they are coming to Greenville. On the other hand, they might be a little disappointed in Greenville, too. At least Democrats in the upstate of SC are sounding off now (two anti-war LTTEs - including mine - in today's Greenville News). But I do love Asheville. Keep up the good word there!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5309569

:applause: :applause: :applause:

:toast: