From Staff Reports

Following a Dec. 9 recount, Mike Fryar officially clinched a second term on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, elections officials confirmed.

The Fairview Republican nipped Democratic challenger Nancy Nehls Nelson by 317 votes. He represents east Buncombe’s District 2 on the seven-member board.

“I want to applaud Nancy for a good run,” Fryar said after the recount. “I appreciate all the people of District 2 basically stepping up and voting. It was a large vote at over 22,000. Very surprising, but I’m very grateful.”

Fryar, who won by a margin of less than 1 percent, received 22,479 votes, while Nelson got 22,162 votes.

On Election Day, Nelson committed to requesting a recount, but on Dec. 9 conceded, thanking her supporters and saying she did not intend to leave local politics behind. Nelson said she would continue to address resident concerns that she had learned about on the campaign trail.

“Across the board, I heard a strong desire to make sure our public schools are adequately funded and that everyone has access to the services they need, like the Family Justice Center,” she said. “I also heard the desire to protect our quality of life and beautiful mountains as we grow our county economy. I intend to share these comments with the Board of Commissioners to make sure their voices are heard.”

Meanwhile, Fryar said his constituents have told him jobs and property taxes are some of the most pressing local issues.

“I just want to figure out what the people want,” he said. “That’s what I asked of the people. This is not Mike Fryar. It’s not about me. It’s about the people, what they would like to see in Buncombe County.”

Fryar also faced a recount in 2012, when he won District 2 by an even slimmer margin — 89 votes. 

While admitting that the area is divided between Republicans and Democrats, he said bipartisan support lifted him over the top.

Fryar said he will work to represent people from both parties, and he said the Democratic appointment of Al Whitesides, who is the first black member of the Buncombe Board of Commissioners, bodes well for cooperation on the board.

The two have worked together on the county audit committee, where Whitesides, a retired banker, served as a citizen and Fryar served as a commissioner.

Fryar called Whitesides an “awesome gentleman” and a “class act.”

“I am really grateful to be at the table to work with Al Whitesides,” he said. “I think the Democrats did very good by who they put in.”

Whitesides got the nod from the Buncombe Democrats to fill a two-year term left by the vacancy of Commissioner Brownie Newman, who left his District 1 seat after being elected the board’s chair.