4 candidates to vie for Madison County sheriff in 2022 elections

Johnny Casey, Asheville Citizen Times
·2 min read

MARSHALL - The candidates for county sheriff, school board and county commissioners are in the hat.

The filing period for municipal elections was to have closed Dec. 17 but was suspended Dec. 8. It has not been announced when the filing period will reopen.

The Madison County sheriff seat will have the most candidates of any position, as four candidates will be vying for the seat.

Republicans Robin Powell Lyles of Mars Hill and Timothy Glenn Buckner of Marshall will be challenging Sheriff Buddy Harwood and Jim Cruzan, both Democrats.

Cruzan, a former Madison County deputy, was fired after a Jan. 2020 video surfaced of him at the courthouse confronting a resident who was aiming to film his experience in the courthouse lobby.

Harwood has said this would be his last term if elected, telling The News Record in August 2021 that he plans to run "one more time."

"I wasn't going to run," Harwood said. "I was going to retire. But it's just not time yet. It's definitely not that time."

The sheriff said his experience in the county, particularly throughout the course of the pandemic, should play in his favor.

Harwood:
Harwood:

"I've got boots on the ground and experience here over the past two years where we've been eaten up with COVID," Harwood said. "I'm stable in this job. We've got the ship headed in the right direction right now.

"I know there are qualified people out there, probably more qualified than I am. But I've got the experience - the boots on the ground experience that it takes to be a sheriff in a small county."

County commissioners

Norris Gentry and Craig Goforth, both Democrats, will seek reelection on the Madison County Board of Commissioners.

School board

Madison County Board of Education chair Karen Blevins will seek reelection as the school board chair.

Barbara Ann Edmonds Wyatt, a Democrat from Mars Hill, will also seek reelection on the board in District 01.

Vickie Ann Hollifield, a Republican and Mars Hill resident, will challenge Wyatt in District 01.

In District 02, Marshall's Keith Ray, a Democrat, plans to run for reelection as well.

Clerk of Superior Court

Clerk of Superior Court Mark Cody will seek reelection in 2022 and is unopposed.

District Court Judge

Republican Matt Rupp, of Boone, announced he will be running for the 24th Judicial District, the seat currently held by Larry Leake.

“Being a District Court Judge is not prestigious," Rupp said in a press release. "The job entails making decisions in misdemeanor criminal cases, awarding custody of children and helping abused or neglected juveniles find a safe and nurturing home. While lacking in prestige, it does provide the opportunity to shape people’s lives, impact families and improve our community.”

The district is comprised of the counties of Madison, Yancey, Mitchell, Avery and Watauga.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: 4 candidates to vie for Madison County sheriff in 2022 elections