UPDATE: (Tuesday 11:30 p.m.) - The largest town west of Asheville in North Carolina will have a new mayor, as Gary Caldwell easily defeated incumbent Gavin Brown to become mayor of Waynesville.
Caldwell, a current Waynesville alderman, picked up 58% of the vote to defeat Brown. Waynesville was one of the few contested mayoral elections Tuesday in Western North Carolina. Among the others was in nearby Maggie Valley in Haywood County. Alderman Mike Eveland topped Mayor Pro Tem Janet Banks with 56% of the vote.
Another contested mayoral election was in Franklin. Longtime incumbent Bob Scott was easily re-elected, defeating Vice Mayor Barbara McRae after getting 60% of the vote. That race in particular focused on the decision to give the deed to the Nikwasi Mound in Franklin - a sacred site for the Eastern Band of Cherokee - to a non-profit. McRae sits on the board that controls the mound now, and Scott has been critical of the decision.
Town councils and boards of aldermen were also on the ballot across Western North Carolina. In Hendersonville, Jennifer Hensley and Lyndsey Simpson were elected to Town Council, while incumbent Steve Caraker was not re-elected. Over in Waynesville, Jon Feitchner and Julia Boyd Freeman were re-elected to their seats on the board of aldermen. Joining them will be Chuck Dickson and Anthony Sutton. Incumbent Leroy Robertson was defeated.
You can check results for all races below.