A look inside campaign money for Western North Carolina, Asheville's congressional race

Joel Burgess, Asheville Citizen Times
·6 min read

Powerful national political interests, including homebuilders, LGBTQ rights groups and a large insurance company are pumping money into the congressional contest to represent Asheville, Buncombe County and surrounding Western North Carolina.

That is according to campaign finance reports recently filed by 11th District candidates Republican Chuck Edwards and Democrat Jasmine Beach-Ferrara. The reports, which were due Oct. 15, came as mail-in voting has already started. Early voting starts Oct. 20. Election Day is Nov. 8.

Beach-Ferrara, a Buncombe County commissioner, out-raised her opponent, pulling in $327,000 from July through September. That brings her campaign's total for the entire election cycle to $2.1 million. She spent $1.9 million and has $282,000 cash on hand. The vast majority of the money raised, more than $2 million, came from individuals, with many top donors from out of state. A nationally-known LGBTQ rights advocate, Beach-Ferrara got donations from several political action committees focused on the issue.

Edwards, a state senator from Henderson County who owns multiple McDonald's franchises in seven states, raised almost $241,000 in the last quarter, bringing his election cycle total to $1.4 million. His campaign spent $1.2 million and he has $235,000 left. Individuals gave his campaign $838,000, while PACs gave $238,000. Among them were committees for the National Homebuilders Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise.

Related:WNC's congressional candidates debate gun control, abortion, government spending

Previously:NC Sen. Chuck Edwards, with tax break on $1M PPP loan, opposes student loan tax breaks

Edwards transferred more than $80,000 from a separate victory fund to his campaign and has loaned his campaign $250,000.

Composed of 14-and-a-half counties, the 11th District's voters lean Republican, with all counties outside Buncombe going for Donald Trump in 2020. Even with the weakening of an expected national "red wave" observers have said the district is a likely GOP win.

Michele Woodhouse, the former GOP chair of the 11th District and a candidate for the district who ran against Edwards, said the donations align closely with perceptions about the candidates: Edwards as a traditional Republican from the heart of WNC conservatism, Henderson County − and Beach-Ferrara as a product of one of the state's most liberal counties, Buncombe.

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"The question now is how they spend the money," Woodhouse said. "What it will come down to in a media market that is limited compared to Charlotte and Raleigh is how fast they spend it and if they get their message out."

By what margin Beach-Ferrara wins Buncombe will be key, she said, with Edwards hoping to pick up enough votes in the rest of the district to be a counterbalance.

"Will Beach-Ferrara be seen as 'just too progressive Asheville?' Will Edwards be seen as too 'country club establishment' for the firebrand wing of the GOP?" she said.

Edwards said Beach-Ferrara's donations show that "radical far-left special interests" were "spending big to oppose me."

"They know I’ll be their worst nightmare in Washington, where I’ll fight to end inflation and shut down their woke agenda," he said.

The amount of her donations were not important, he said.

Beach-Ferrara's campaign spokesperson Luke Tonat said her success at fund-raising "fueled by grassroots donations from individuals averaging less than $40 a contribution" tells a different story.

"Jasmine’s ability to out-raise Chuck Edwards shows what we’ve seen as Jasmine has campaigned across the district ― enthusiasm, momentum, and a clear path to victory," Tonat said.

From earlier this month:NC House candidates on COVID policies, Asheville homelessness, student loan forgiveness

Political money: Will Buncombe fundraising determine General Assembly balance of power?

He criticized Edwards' campaign as relying on special interest groups and "checks from his own bank account."

The 11th U.S. House District.
The 11th U.S. House District.

Where their money comes from

Jasmine Beach-Ferrara

  • Rep. Torres of New York Leadership PAC (La Bamba PAC) - $10,000

  • Equality PAC Equality Project PAC (LGBTQ rights) - $10,000

  • Democratic National Committee PAC - $10,000

  • When Dems Turn Out PAC - $10,000

  • LPAC (LGBTQ women candidates) - $6,000

  • Equality Project PAC (LGBTQ rights) - $5,800

  • More Perfect Union PAC (left-leaning, issues include voting rights, death penalty abolition) - $5,800

  • (All individuals listed below gave $5,800)

  • Former state Sen. Terry Van Duyn, Biltmore Forest

  • Asheville School Board candidate Pepi Acebo

  • Joseph Spatarella, Asheville, financial technology services company Fiserv sales executive

  • David Sneddon, Fairview, real estate specialist

  • Matthew Girard, Asheville, Slack Technologies Inc. software engineer

  • Steven Baumoh, Asheville, not employed

  • Robert Palin, Taylorsville, retired

  • Tanya Friedman, Brooklyn, New York

  • Eugene Kapaloski, Los Angeles, not employed

  • Zachary Larson-Rabin, Rockville, Maryland, not employed

  • Mary (Judy) Meelia, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, retired

  • Stage Presence, Hopewell Junction, New York, programmer at SBV Workforce Management

  • Meg Baesmith, Durham, not employed

  • Mark Kuhn, Durham, investment advisor

  • Heitzso Heitzso (same first and last name), Gainesville, Georgia, not employed

  • Evan Corns, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, not employed

  • Caroline Niemczyk, Bedford Hills, New York, not employed

  • Larry Olliges, Louisville, Kentucky, president of Dee's Crafts Inc. (craft store)

  • Oona Coy, Northampton, Massachusetts, not employed

More:Vanderbilt heir opens $9.2M hotel in Biltmore Village

Chuck Edwards

  • Chuck Edwards - $250,000 (loan from Edwards to his campaign)

  • Clay Sykes, water infrastructure company Inframark executive and Lisa Sykes, retiree, both of Penrose - $42,400 (donated through Edwards’ victory fund and campaign)

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina PAC - $10,000

  • Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers PAC - $10,000

  • Minority U.S. House Whip Steve Scalise leadership PAC Eye of the Tiger - $10,000

  • National Automobile Dealers Association PAC - $10,000

  • UPS (United Parcel Service) PAC - $10,000

  • National Association of Homebuilders PAC - $7,500

  • Biltmore Farms President John Cecil - $5,855

  • Former state Rep. Chuck McGrady, Hendersonville - $5,800

  • Developer and commercial real estate broker Rusty Pulliam - $5,800

  • Tarheel Paving President John Pace - $5,800

  • Golf Course designer Tom Fazio - $5,800

  • William Hackney, Marietta, Georgia, retired - $5,800

  • Peter Heckman, Arden, not employed - $5,800

  • John Kane, Raleigh, real estate company owner - $5,800

  • Gordon Strayhorn, Brevard, Camp Illahee owner - $5,800

  • William Taylor, Pinehurst, owner of veteran's disability claim consulting company Veterans Guardian - $5,800

  • Scott Greenblatt, Pinehurst, CEO of Veterans Guardian - $5,800

  • Matthew Yelverton, Hendersonville, attorney - $5,800

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. 

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: A look inside campaign money for WNC, Asheville's congressional race