2024 Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum

The annual Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum is scheduled for Monday, September 16 from 5:00-9:30 PM and will be broadcast live from the Appalachian Theatre in Downtown Boone. The event is co-hosted by the Boone Area & Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce. This event is free and open to the public. In order to maintain decorum, political literature and signage will be not be allowed in the room.

For those unable to attend in person, this event will be broadcast live, in its entirety, on YouTube, WATA (1450 AM / 96.5 FM), and the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce website. Archives of each segment of the forum will be made available on Boone Area Chamber of Commerce platforms following the event. 

Additional media partners will be announced at a later date.

Candidate Schedule

Candidates appearing in bold in the schedule below have been confirmed for the event. Updated September 3, 2024.

5:00PM - Venue & Seating Area Open to the Public

5:20PM - Welcome, Review of Procedures, & Announcements

5:30PM - Candidates for US House of Representatives

• Chuck Hubbard (D)

• Virginia Foxx (R) (I)

6:05PM – NC House & Senate

Senate District 47

• Frank Hughes, III (D)

• Ralph Hise (R) (I)

House District 93

• Ben Massey (D)

• Ray Pickett (R) (I)

7:10PM - Candidates for Watauga County Board of Education

• Marshall Ashcraft (I)

• Chad Cole

• Adam Hege

• Allison Idol

• Charlotte Mizelle Lloyd

• Tom Ross

8:15PM - Candidates for Watauga County Commissioners

District 3

• Braxton Eggers (R)
• Jon Council (U)

District 4

• Charlie Wallin (D) (I)
• Ronnie Marsh (R)

District 5

• Sue Sweeting (D)
• Todd Castle (R)

Key

(D) - Democrat

(R) - Republican

(U) - Unaffiliated

(I) - Incumbent

Candidate Confirmed Attendance

Event Format

As this event is hosted by two Chambers of Commerce, questions will allow for candidates to inform the local business community about their platform, goals, and objectives.

Questions will be asked of all the candidates in a ‘round robin’ format; each having an opportunity to answer first, but all answering the same question. A set list of questions will come from audience submissions as well as suggestions from the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Government Relations Committee and the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce Community and Government Committee. Members of the community are also encouraged to submit questions in advance by emailing info@boonechamber.com.  

All questions will be asked by a moderator.  Each response will have a 90-second time limit and each candidate will have a 2-minute opening and closing statement. 

This forum is not intended to be a debate between candidates, but rather an opportunity for the citizenry to hear each candidate’s position on topics important to all. 

Please contact David Jackson at 828-264-2225 with any further questions.