Asheville City Councilman Young files to run for Charlotte seat in U.S. House

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Asheville City Councilman Keith Young has filed to run for election in North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District, a district that encompasses Charlotte.

Young, a first-term Democrat on City Council, says on his campaign’s website that “When bullies occupy the White House … we need stronger voices of opposition!” His website shows a video of one of President Donald Trump’s trademark “Make America Great Again” ball caps going up in flames.

The 12th Congressional seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, a 71-year-old Democrat from High Point. Adams won a special election in 2014 to fill the vacancy left by long-serving U.S. Rep. Mel Watt.

The U.S. Constitution does not require U.S. House of Representatives members to live in the district that they represent, though they must live in the same state as the congressional district they represent.

Some political observers see Young’s filing as simply a mid-term fundraising ploy. His term on City Council is up next year.

Young has also faced scrutiny regarding his residency and eligibility to serve on Asheville City Council. Asheville City Council members must live in the city limits to serve on council, according to the city’s charter. A resident filed a challenge last year with the Buncombe County Board of Elections, claiming that Young lived south of town outside city limits, rather than the downtown address he listed on election papers. After a hearing, the elections board ruled that Young lived inside city limits.