From Staff Reports

 The large field of Asheville City Council candidates was narrowed to six candidates for three available seats for the nonpartisan general election on Nov. 3.

The six candidates on the balllot include Brian Haynes, assistant manager of Habitat for Humanity; Vice Mayor Marc Hunt; Rich Lee, financial advisor; Julie Mayfield, environmental nonprofit director; Lindsey Simerly, LGBT advocacy group campaign manager; and Keith Young, deputy clerk of Buncombe County Superior Court.

There will be at least one write-in campaign — run by the Rev. Spencer Hardaway, Baptist minister.

The early voting period ran from Oct. 22-31 at various locations.

On Nov. 3, voters must already be registered and must go to their individual polling sites.

In the Oct. 6 primary, 12.7 percent of the voters cast votes for the 16 candidates on the ballot. While the turnout was paltry, it was the highest percent of voters for a Asheville council primary since 2007.

Among the winners, Mayfield led with 3,457 votes; Haynes got 3,005 votes; Hunt, 2,929 votes; Young, 2,749 votes; Simerly, 2,434 votes; and Lee, 2,390 votes.

Among those missing the cut were Carl Mumpower, with 1,852 votes, followed by Ken Michalove, 1,402 votes; John P. Miall, 1,288 votes; Dee Williams, 1,174 votes; Corey Atkins, 781 votes; Lavonda Nicole Payne, 148 votes; Joe Grady, 147 votes; Grant Millin, 123 votes; Holly P. Shriner, 108 votes; and Richard Liston, 64 votes.

Some political observers have noted that the primary results show the continue dominance of Asheville’s progressive candidates, while conservatives were failed to gain enough support to qualify for the general election.

Those wanting a park built on a vacant lot across from St. Lawrence Basilica endorsed Haynes, Young and Lee.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Club backed Mayfield, Hunt and Simelry, while the AFL-CIO Central Labor Council backed Lee and Simerly and Equality NC backed Mayfield, Hunt and Simerly, who also were endorsed by local Democratic politicians.

In a rift that has been highly publicized, Councilman Gordon Smith endorsed Mayfield, Hunt and Simelry, while fellow progressive Councilman Cecil Bothwell is backing Haynes, Young and Lee.

Thus, if Haynes, Young and Lee are elected, combined with Bothwell’s vote, observers say it would block any sale of the land near the Basilica.

In an Oct. 17 column in the Asheville Citizen-Times, Bothwell accused the Sierra Club of being “more attuned to bolstering the status quo than to environmental protection.”

In response, Mark Threlkeld, a member of the Sierra Club’s executive committee; wrote in an AC-T guest column:

“Really? Locally, we’ve won the closure of the coal plant in your backyard, Cecil. Nationally, the Sierra Club has won the closure of 250 coal-fired plants.”

Threlkeld also took a verbal shot at Bothwell for saying the Sierra Club candidates might be for larger environmental issues, “but not for the changes we need to make here and now to address global climate change and livability downtown.”

In response, Threlkeld wrote, “First, does he really think a site of less than one acre, planted to grass, is going to combat climate change? If you want to have a serious impact on that issue, Cecil, dream bigger. So that leaves the issue of livability downtown. Good people can disagree on this element. Park or mixed use with a public plaza?”

He added, “No one is saying ‘high-rise hotel,’ even though Cecil keep propping up that straw man. A park would cost $5 million that could instead go toward sorely needed greenways, big paths and sidewalks.”

Meanwhile, the three conservative candidates — Mumpower, Michalove and Miall — failed to advance despite boasting experience in government, with Michalove and Mumpower, respectively, formerly serving as mayor and vice mayor. They were all critical of the current council, especially on taxing and spending.