Holly Jones response to GOP ‘evil queen’ billboard

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Jason Sandford

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

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The Buncombe County Republican Party has elected not to run Halloween-themed billboards mocking city councilman Gordon Smith as a “Greenway zombie” and county commissioner Holly Jones as an evil queen.

But Jones says that with all the media attention, despite the billboard not running, it has already been seen by the public.

Jones’ billboard is here:

Mountain Xpress reporter Jake Frankel has stated on Twitter that the Jones billboard uses a Mountain Xpress photographer photo without permission.

Jones’ response to the ad was released yesterday:

We Are The Adults

A huge motivator for many individuals entering politics is our children and their well-being. Whatever your political affiliation, most candidates want to build a better community, offer greater opportunities and provide a hopeful future for our children.

Gabriela, my 10 year old daughter, reminds me daily of why I have put myself forward for public service.

Today when Gabriela gets home from school, I will need to sit her down and prepare her for seeing a nasty billboard of her mother, with the caption “Evil Queen” along the roadways we travel. She will be very upset.

This image has been produced by the Buncombe County Republican Party and makes me so sad for my daughter and so angry for our children.

However, when I see such bad behavior on display, I become more determined than ever to provide an alternative in leadership. Our children deserve leadership above name calling and bullying. They deserve role models who demonstrate respect and kindness towards their opponents.

We are the adults.

Read Jones’s response here.

Smith’s billboard:

The Buncombe GOP responds in a Citizen-Times article, GOP cans ‘evil queen’ ad

An advertising company rejected the Jones ad, said Henry Mitchell, chairman of the Buncombe County GOP and a member of its communications committee, along with West and five other members. The communications committee determines how the party advertises locally.

“But I wasn’t going to run that one anyway,” Mitchell said. “We were looking at eight or nine designs, but we wanted to zero in on the Obama theme.”

The GOP canned the two Jones billboards and two others that alerted voters to beware of “Greenways zombies” and featured a photo of Asheville City Councilman Gordon Smith.

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Jason Sandford

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

  • 1

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