From Staff Reports

Miranda DeBruhl, who recently was in the center of a political tsunami with her Democratic foes who blamed her for wrecking an economic development deal with Deschutes Brewery (an assertion that she vigorously has disputed), announced on May 16 that she is withdrawing from the Buncombe County political scene — to pursue a business opportunity.

Therefore, DeBruhl said, she no longer will be vying — as the Republican nominee — to become the first woman chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in November’s election.

DeBruhl also noted that she was resigning from her position as a commissioner.

“Over the past few weeks and months, a business opportunity for my family has slowly developed from a small probability to a near certainty,” DeBruhl said in an e-mailed announcement.

She characterized the opportunity as an “exciting prospect” but gave few other details. “It will create meaningful jobs and have significant economic impact. However, it will not be located in our county or even our state,” she said.

The new work will require her to spend a significant amount of time away from Buncombe, DeBruhl noted.

“Therefore, I strongly believe it would be irresponsible and disingenuous for me to continue this campaign. I firmly believe that elected officials should reside in the same jurisdiction as their constituents.”

DeBruhl, a first-term commissioner, won 60 percent of the vote in the March 15 Republican primary, whipping opponent Chad Nesbitt. She would have faced Democrat Brownie Newman, vice chairman of the Board of Commissioners, in the Nov. 8 general election.

(DeBruhl, who lives in Leicester, is one of two commissioners representing District 3 in western Buncombe. She and her husband Kelly have two children and run a convenience store in Fairview and an recreational vehicle dealership in Fletcher.)

The Buncombe County Republican Party will work to select her replacement as soon as possible, the BCGOP said in a press release.

“While we are sad to see her move on, we thank her for her service and the steadfast conservative voice she brought to the commission,” the BCGOP noted.

In March 2015, DeBruhl took a lead role in opposing the county’s $6.8 million purchase of land in Bent Creek in an economic deal that was intended to attract Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery. Deschutes planned to spend up to $200 million on a East Coast brewery and create up to 154 jobs. However, the company opted instead for Roanoke, Va.

In the aftermath, Democratic commissioners blamed DeBruhl for botching the deal by scorning it on social media and even contacting Deschutes president. In opposing the land purchase, DeBruhl said she saw it as “speculation” since the county bought it before any deal had been signed with the brewery.

In an usually public way, the fight featured Democrats and Republicans sparring verbally — with accusations flying — during an open April 5 board meeting.

DeBruhl, who was trained as a registered nurse, grew up in the county and entered politics only recently, unseating fellow Republican David King in a heated 2014 primary. She later defeated King’s wife, Nancy Waldrop, a Republican who became an unaffiliated candidate to run against DeBruhl in the general election.

As a member of the board’s minority party, DeBruhl led the criticism of Democrat-backed animal welfare rules that she said were overreaching. The rules included limits on dog-tethering, mandates on social interaction for animals and a requirement that horses have manmade shelters. The commissioners later voted unanimously to reverse some of the measures.

In running for chair, DeBruhl said that, while being female definitely informed her politically, the possibility of being the first woman to lead the county’s elected body was not a motivator or necessarily a campaign issue for her. For instance, as a woman and mother, she is a strong supporter for education, she said. Otherwise, her issues mirrored many classic conservative views, such as lowering regulatory burdens on businesses, she said.

Recently, she supported HB2, the state’s ban on local rules allowing transgender people the right to use bathrooms of their choice. DeBruhl said she agreed with GOP state lawmakers that such local rules about bathrooms opened the door to sexual predators. 

Other portions of HB2 ban local rules protecting LGBT people from discrimination in private businesses such as hotels and restaurants. Another measure of the law makes it harder for people who felt they had been discriminated against because of race, sex or other characteristics to sue.

Recently, she and other Republicans on April 19 voted against a move — supported by Democrats — to eliminate the question of criminal history from county job applications.