From Staff Reports

Jan Davis

Asheville voters on Nov. 6 chose a newcomer to replace Councilman Bryan Freeborn and overwhelmingly rejected a measure that would have given political parties a greater role in city elections.

Insurance-company owner Bill Russell will take Freebornís seat on council, while incumbents Jan Davis and Brownie Newman will serve another four years.

Election officials noted that turnout was at a 22-year-low. In Asheville, 12,475, or 21.8 percent, of the cityís 57,277 voters turned out, according to Trena Parker, director of the Buncombe County Board of Elections. That is the lowest turnout for a general election since 1985.

Russell, the sole Republican in the general election, beat Freeborn, a Democrat, by just 84 votes. Russell said he wants to bring balance and business experience to council.

Meanwhile, voters rejected partisan elections by a margin of more than four to one. Council had voted 4-3 to switch municipal elections from non-partisan to partisan on June 12. Newman and Freeborn both voted in favor of the change.

Under a partisan system, council and mayoral candidates would have had to contend in party primaries before going onto the general election. Third-party and independent candidates would have to garner more than 2,300 signatures to get on the ballot in the general election.

However, a successful petition drive by the group Let Asheville Vote forced the city to hold a referendum on the question.

Davis got the highest number of votes, with 7,639. The tire salesman and former racecar driver describes himself as a conservative Democrat.

Newman came in second with 6,613 votes, followed by Russell, who got 5,484.

Bryan Freeborn

Freeborn recieved 5,484 votes, followed by Vincenzoís Ristorante owner Dwight Butner, who got 5,367 votes.

Butner initially said he entered the race to oppose the change to partisan elections, but later focused his campaign on promoting workforce housing.

Environmental activist Elaine Lite came in last with just 5,009 votes. Lite, who publishes Critter magazine, opposed the change to partisan elections.

Freeborn attributed his loss to the partisan-election referendum. Eight of the 10 precincts that came out most strongly against the ballot measure also favored Russell.

Freeborn had served just two years on council, having been appointed by council members to fill the vacancy left by Terry Bellamy after she was elected mayor.

He said he may consider requesting a recount of the votes. One factor in a possible recount is the roughly 200 provisional ballots that elections officials must decide whether to count. Provisional ballots are given out when there is a question as to whether the voter is properly registered.