This week's Asheville primary yielded a few surprising results, but the issues that were driving voters to the polls should come as no shock to anyone who follows city politics. South Asheville businessman Vijay Kapoor was by far the top vote getter in the city council primary, which whittled the number of candidates from 12 to 6 for next month's general election. Kapoor's showing is a sign the neighborhood he hails from is becoming a burgeoning force in Asheville politics according to Citizen-Times reporter Joel Burgess, who covers city government. He says growth of Asheville was what drove voters to the polls this primary, which showed up in many of the issues candidates and voters were talking about, such as public transit or short-term housing rentals like AirBnb. Burgess joined BPR's Matt Bush in studio to discuss the results, including incumbent city councilman Cecil Bothwell falling 106 votes of shy of advancing to the general election on November 7th. Early voting starts next week on October 19th.
