What we know about the race for Asheville, WNC House seat, replacing Mark Meadows, runoff - Citizen Times

Joel Burgess Asheville Citizen Times

Published 9:41 AM EDT Mar 10, 2020

The race for North Carolina's U.S. House 11th District has certainly not been boring. And now, strange new twists have made the contest more confusing, even to experts.

Here's what to know about the seat for WNC and Asheville held by the nationally prominent conservative Mark Meadows.

What's the 11th district?

Current district: The oddly-shaped district has 15 and a half counties, splitting Buncombe County and Asheville. Anti-gerrymandering activists told judges the lines were drawn by Republicans to give them an unfair advantage.

New District: A new district deemed more fair was put in place Nov. 15. It will cover the state's westernmost 16 and a half counties, splitting Rutherford. The new 11th is in effect for the 2020 election, which is ongoing. The winner will serve in Congress beginning Jan. 3. 

More: The quick (and dirty) on Asheville's gerrymandering: A timeline on how it got there

What's the status of Meadows?

Meadows was first elected to the 11th District in 2012. He was reelected in 2014, 2016 and 2018, becoming leader of the influential right-wing Freedom Caucus. In 2019, about a day before the filing deadline, Meadows, who was linked to a potential White House job, announced he wasn't going to run in 2020. But he said he would finish his two-year term. On March 6, President Donald Trump tapped him to be chief of staff and Meadows said he would resign.

More: Trump will name Mark Meadows to White House chief of staff role

There's actually two different congressional terms at stake

2021-23: Five Democrats entered the 2020 race to replace Meadows. Moe Davis won his party's March 3 primary. But the 11-way GOP primary was too close for an outright winner, and now first-place finisher Lynda Bennett and second-place finisher Madison Cawthorn are in a May 12 runoff. The runoff winner will face Davis in the Nov. 3 general election.

More: 'Second' Republican primary for WNC's 11th District likely to be expensive, bruising

2019-21: With Meadows quitting, state law instructs Gov. Roy Cooper to call a special election to fill the rest of his term. Some party leaders have said it's possible Cooper might not call an election, leaving the seat vacant through the nearly 10 months remaining.

Timing

A spokesman for Cooper's office responded to questions March 8, saying the governor's office would get back to the Citizen Times. That had not happened by the evening of March 9.

General Statute 163-13 talks about special election timing and who gets on the ballot, but the language is confusing with party leaders giving different answers.

Public law and government expert Bob Joyce with the UNC School of Government said March 9 that the law appears to give some flexibility on the date, including not having the election. As to what Cooper might do, Joyce said that was "beyond his job description."

"I'm delighted to say, I have no clue," he said.

Who would be in the special election?

The law says Democratic and Republican officials from the 11th District would each pick a candidate, according to Joyce. The "likely thing," he said, would be for the winners of 2020 primaries to be selected.

With Davis' decisive win, that could make him a clear Democratic choice. Davis called the situation a "mess" created by Meadows and Republicans.

"The victims here are the people who live in the gerrymandered 11th Congressional District who now have taxation without representation … not that Meadows was doing anything to represent them," he said in a March 6 statement. 

With no final winner, Republicans' choice is less clear. While Bennett had the most votes and was endorsed by Meadows, Woodard said he did not think the congressman's choice would matter with the 11th District Executive Committee.

"Quite honestly, for me, I don’t think his recommendation would hold sway," he said.

Bennett did not respond to multiple requests for comment. 

Cawthorn talked about Meadows' new job, but declined to speak on a special election.

"I am happy that a Western North Carolinian will be near the center of power," he said. "I have no further comment on the subject." 

Who would vote?

Whether a special election would take place in the current heavily-GOP leaning district, or the new, more moderate, district is also up for debate. 

Woodard, who has spoken with the state GOP's general counsel said "it would be the old district counties voting in any special election."

But Democratic N.C. Rep. Susan Fisher, whose General Assembly district covers part of Asheville and Buncombe, said it would be the new lines. 

"Nov. 15 is when it became effective," Fisher said. 

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to law enforcement issues. 

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