August 20, 2025

Mayor Manheimer Announces Fourth Term Bid, Commits to Leading Asheville's Historic Recovery

 

Esther commits to steward hundreds of millions federal of investment to build back better

 

ASHEVILLE -- Mayor Esther Manheimer announced today that she will seek a fourth consecutive term as Asheville's mayor in order to ensure Asheville’s long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene, including stewarding the more than $225 million in federal funding she helped secure.

 

"In the wake of this storm, we have an opportunity to use funding we've never had before, to build back better," Mayor Manheimer said. "Recovery is a multi-year effort requiring steady collaboration and leadership. I went to Washington, fought for our community, secured the funding, and I want to see us through."

 

Mayor Manheimer is recognized as a national leader. Next month, she will be speaking at the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy conference and participating in the Clinton Global Initiative. Since 2023, Mayor Manheimer has served on the Homelessness Task Force for the United States Conference of Mayors and now serves on its Intergovernmental Emergency Task Force. Esther serves as Co-Chair of Governor Steins's Advisory Committee on WNC Recovery.

 

Her steadfast leadership during the community's most difficult period in recent history positions her uniquely to guide the complex, multi-year rebuilding effort ahead.

 

During the response to Hurricane Helene Mayor Manheimer served as the face and voice of our community to national media and federal and state governments. She made the case that Helene was a “catastrophe that far exceeds any local government, or even state government’s, ability to recover from on our own.” Mayor Manheimer met with President Biden and Governor Roy Cooper to tour devastated areas of the city and county with them, and successfully advocated in Washington to secure the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) federal recovery funding on top of FEMA funding. 

 

The mayor's "build back better" vision focuses on economic recovery and revitalization, enhanced community resilience and sustainability, and greater opportunities for all residents. The federal funding must be strategically deployed across multiple agencies over the next six years, requiring the kind of experienced leadership and established relationships Manheimer has cultivated throughout her tenure.

 

"This is about stewardship of an unprecedented opportunity," Manheimer said. "We have the chance to not just rebuild, but to create a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable Asheville for the next generation."

 

Mayor Manheimer's announcement comes with immediate backing of State Senator Julie Mayfield, who highlighted the importance of state-local partnership during the recovery.

 

"Mayor Manheimer proved her crisis leadership skills when our community needed it most. In the wake of the storm, she has built the relationships and earned the trust necessary to maximize this federal investment for our community," said Senator Mayfield. "Now we need that same steady hand to guide us through this historic recovery effort. There is simply no substitute for Esther's experience and her proven ability to deliver results."

 

Manheimer was first elected mayor in 2013 and reelected in 2017 and 2022. Her track record includes negotiating what has been called "the most equitable budget in Asheville's history," advancing historic reparations initiatives, securing major federal funding, and fostering collaborative partnerships with county and state officials.

 

A graduate of Asheville High School, Mayor Manheimer holds Juris Doctorate and Master of Public Administration degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is a partner at The Van Winkle Law Firm and lives in Asheville with her husband Mark Harris, a public school teacher and coach, their three sons, and rescue dog. She previously served as chair of the North Carolina Metro Mayors Coalition and received a Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Community Service from the MLK Association.

 

The nonpartisan municipal primary election will be held March 3, 2026.  The general election will be held Tuesday, November 3, 2026.