ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville and Buncombe County leaders are part of the team that will help Congressman-elect Jamie Ager get ready for Washington. Ager on Monday rolled out a 23-member transition committee, drawing Democrats and Republicans from all 16 counties of the 11th Congressional District and the Qualla Boundary.
Ager, a Democrat, won the Nov. 3 election over Republican Jennifer Balkcom by close to 16 points. The seat had been in Republican hands since 2013. He is sworn in when his term starts on Jan. 3, 2027.
Buncombe County voices on the panel include Asheville City Council member Antanette Mosley and Buncombe County Commissioner Terri Wells, both Democrats. Former Republican state lawmaker Nathan Ramsey, now president of Land of Sky Regional Council, is also from Buncombe.
Other Republicans named include Clay County Sheriff Mark Buchanan and Madison County Commissioner Alan Wyatt. John Robinson, the elected Superior Court clerk in Yancey County, is on the list as well.
The list also reaches into small towns and tribal government. Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers, Murphy Mayor Tim Radford, Saluda Mayor Tangie Morgan and Principal Chief Michell Hicks of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are on it, along with Grandfather Mountain chief executive Jesse Pope.
Elected court clerks from Jackson and Madison counties also made the cut, along with Macon County Commissioner Ronnie Beale, giving the group deep roots in county government.
Ramsey once served Buncombe County in the state House, from 2013 to 2014, and before that was chairman of the county commission. His regional council now handles planning and growth work across four counties: Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania.
The district runs west to east from Cherokee County, which borders two states, to Avery County in the High Country. Recovery from Tropical Storm Helene, roads, farming and jobs are expected to be among the top issues the new office takes on.
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