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Here's what seats are open on School Board and in cities

By Bill Moss, Published: August 16, 2023

Partisan Henderson County School Board elections and a move of all municipal elections from this year to next are among the changes in the 2024 elections.

When the General Assembly changed the law to move city primaries to even-numbered years, it failed to move city primaries from October to March.
“We are currently working with our legislator, Sen. Tim Moffitt, to get their primary changed to March because right now Flat Rock, Hendersonville and Fletcher’s primary is in October of next year, and that will just be really hard to have an October primary before the general in November," Henderson County Elections Director Summer Heatherly told the Lightning last week. We’ve been talking to Flat Rock, Fletcher and Hendersonville city, so we’ve got it in the works.”

Moffitt confirmed that he's working to make the change.

"Rep. (Jennifer) Balkcom and I are currently working on the language necessary to move those primary elections," he said in an email response to the Lightning's question. "In working with the new director, we have agreed to the framework and should have an amendment to S68 that would include that fix."
 

Assuming the Legislature makes the fix, the March 5 primary election will include president, governor, lieutenant governor legislators and other offices. All candidates will register for office Dec. 1-15, again assuming the Legislature to make the timing for all the seats uniform.

School Board seats up for election next year are currently held by chair Blair Craven, who is registered unaffiliated; Republicans Kathy Revis and Robert Bridges and Democrat Stacey Caskey.
City seats up for election in 2024 and current occupants are:
• Hendersonville: Jennifer Hensley, Lyndsey Simpson.
• Flat Rock: Nick Weedman (mayor), Tom Carpenter (district 1), Anne Coletta (district 2), David Dethero (district 3).
• Fletcher: Keith Reid (district 2), Bob Davy (district 3).
• Laurel Park: Carey O’Cain (mayor), George Banta, Kristin Dunn.
• Mills River: Jeff Young, Randy Austin.
• Saluda: Stan Walker, Melanie Talbot.