Part One of our Asheville City Council Primary Candidate Forum features Maggie Ullman, Jeffrey Burroughs, and Dan Ferrell, presented by Radio Asheville 103.7. In this conversation, the candidates dig into what Asheville is doing well, how they’d tackle housing through the 2023 “Missing Middle” study, and the tension between growth and legacy neighborhoods.
They also explore how to work more effectively with Raleigh, the impact of tourism and the TDA on our city and region, and concrete policy ideas that could move Asheville forward. The forum wraps with their assessments of post–Hurricane Helene recovery, one issue we’re not talking about nearly enough, and why they’re asking for your vote.

Part Two of our Asheville City Council Primary Candidate Forum features Nina Ireland and Drew Ball in a focused, issues-driven conversation about the city’s future. Presented by Radio Asheville 103.7, this forum digs into what Asheville does well and how to protect that progress, the “Missing Middle” housing study, and the role of tourism in a sustainable local economy.
The candidates also tackle Hurricane Helene recovery, working with the General Assembly and regional partners, and how to avoid duplicating strained services. They share specific ideas on addressing homelessness, the city’s role in the Mission/HCA debate, improving transportation, learning from the reparations commission process, and the critical issues they believe Asheville still isn’t talking about enough, and why they’re asking for your vote.

David Moritz and Blake Butler sit down with Dr. Chris Cooper for Part 3 of the Asheville City Council primary candidate forums, presented by Radio Asheville 103.7. In this conversation, they dig into what Asheville is getting right, how to build on that progress, and where the city is falling short.
The forum covers concrete ideas on policy and strategy, Hurricane Helene recovery, the “missing middle” housing study, working with the General Assembly, and how to keep tourism in balance with residents’ needs. The video closes with each candidate’s vision for Asheville’s future and why they’re asking for your vote.

Dr. Chris Cooper Interview on his recent Politico article about Tom Tillis’ decision to quit politics in North Carolina.

Dr. Cooper, discussing Tom Tillis’s resignation in Politico, says Tillis’s departure highlights how moderation has become untenable in today’s polarized politics. Once an asset, centrism now alienates both party extremes, especially in swing states like North Carolina where partisan voters dominate primaries. Trump’s public attacks on dissenting Republicans have reshaped party dynamics, enforcing loyalty through intimidation and accelerating the exodus of pragmatic figures such as Tillis and Patrick McHenry. Cooper notes this trend leaves institutional voices fading, as ideological purity eclipses compromise and narrows the space for moderate leadership in national politics.