February’s arrival also heralds the filing season for the 2010 elections. Democrats, still struggling in an area that is wedded to the GOP brand, will have a limited field of candidates. But on the Republican side, it appears that a primary looms for every contested seat at the local level.
Especially bitter is the race for District Attorney. Charges and counter charges already are appearing on internet blogs. Incumbent Jay Gaither is accused of engineering a private court session where only one case was heard before Judge Gregg Hayes: that of a doctor accused for complicity in an accident in which a truck driver was killed. The Hickory doctor left the scene. The verdict: a minor misdemeanor conviction. Also there are stories circulating of drinking bouts in Buncombe County, attempts to intimidate a highway patrolman and more.
