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The local Democratic and Republican primaries are scheduled for Tuesday, July 20, 2004, giving area Democrats and Republicans the opportunity to select their 11th Congressional District candidate, finalists for the Chairman of the Buncombe County Commissioners, and the four County Commissioner seats.Democratic Congressional candidate Patsy Keever, pictured in photo on right, is facing Michael Morgan in the 11th District Democratic primary, but is predicted to win a landslide victory in the primary election. Keever continues to turn heads with her proficient fundraising campaign that has now topped $400,000. If Keever defeats Morgan in the July 20 primary, she will then face incumbent Congressman Charles Taylor in the November 2nd election. Taylor�s re-election campaign is not facing a challenger in the July 20 Republican primary. What continues to catch the attention of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and other Democratic national political organizations is Keever�s proficiency in raising money for her campaign against the seven-term incumbent, Republican Congressman Charles Taylor. Keever reported raising a total of $404,150 in the June 30, 2004, official report to the Federal Election Commission from over 1,800 contributors.
Not only have WNC political pundits been impressed with the amount of money Keever has raised to date, but they have also been impressed with the fact that over 1,800 individuals throughout the 11th District have contributed an average of $200 or less to her campaign. The broadbased support in fundraising indicates that Keever is building a sizeable grassroots constituency. Keever said, �I am very proud that the majority of our funding has come from individuals right here in Western North Carolina who are ready to get involved and work for change.� The race for Chairman of the Buncombe County Commissioners is between former Asheville City Vice Mayor Ed Hay, Krishna Murphy and Don Yelton. Murphy and Yelton have never held elected office. The winner will face incumbent Chairman Nathan Ramsey in the November 2nd election. Ramsey is unopposed in the Republican primary. There will be four Buncombe Country Commissioners� seats in play for the November 2nd election. Patsy Keever is relinquishing her seat to run for the 11th Congressional District position, and Bill Stanley, David Gantt and David Young are up for re-election. Stanley, Gantt and Young are all seeking re-election, and Carol Peterson and Harry Maroni have also entered the Democratic primary for a Buncombe County Commissioner�s seat. Peterson is an experienced, local Democratic loyalist who is a retired Buncombe County schoolteacher and life-long Buncombe County resident. The four Democratic Buncombe County Commissioner candidates receiving the most votes in the primary will advance to the general election. Republicans have five candidates vying for the four Buncombe County Commissioner's seats. Mark Crawford, Peter Dawes, Mick Harrison, Mike Morgan and Bill Reynolds are the Republican candidates. Crawford is the only Republican candidate who has previously held an elected office, having served in the NC State Legislature. Morgan ran for a county commissioner seat in the last election but did not win. Republicans will be choosing their finalists for the US Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, auditor, commissioner of insurance, commissioner of labor, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction. Democratic voters will also have the opportunity to choose their party's finalists for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, commissioner of agriculture and superintendent of public structure.
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Taylor (pictured in the middle of second photo on right) reported raising $115, 094 during the second quarter, with $150,334 cash on hand. Keever reported raising $177,133 in the second quarter, with $191,284 in cash on hand. The second quarter fundraising totals for Taylor and Keever indicate that Keever has now exceeded Taylor�s fundraising totals for three consecutive quarters. However, because of Taylor�s personal wealth, recently reported in the Congressional report to total between $55,000,000 and $71,000,000, Taylor will be able to afford the luxury of donating personal funds to his re-election campaign as he feels they are needed. 