County seat to feature mayoral race
Shaun Adams
A total of 20 local residents threw their names in the hat for the 2025 municipal elections.
The filing period closed at noon Friday, with the following candidates emerging as contenders for the Nov. 4 ballot.
* Robbinsville: Mayor Shaun Adams has filed to run for re-election and will face opposition from Alderman Kenneth Hyde. Both qualified for the ballot July 17.
Debbie Beasley will also seek re-election to her seat as an alderwoman, but a bevy of challengers will oppose her and the open third seat, which has been vacant since Brian "Taco" Johnson resigned in January 2023. Looking for a seat on the board will be Jacky Ayers, Jacob Bridgers, Hubert Merchant, Brenda Long Norville, Blake Orr, Lana Adams Trull and Johnnie Williams.
* Fontana Dam: Thomas Byrd, mayor (incumbent); Amanda Ryan (council member, incumbent); Joshua Grant (council member); and Andrew Stanfield (council member). Byrd and Ryan are the only two remaining board members after a mass exodus March 28, where the mayor, a council member and the town administrator all resigned during a meeting. Byrd has assumed the role as mayor, but a quorum requires a three-fifths majority. The town held an emergency meeting after Wednesday’s press deadline, as a new board member was set to be elected by a state-level decision. The November election will fill the other two empty seats; the council has not been at full strength in two years.
* Lake Santeetlah: All but one candidate is an incumbent, as Alan Davidson will vie for a seat against council members Kevin Haag, Jim Hager, Keith Predmore, Diana Simon and Ralph Strunk. Simon is the town's mayor; Haag serves as vice mayor.