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About Esther
Asheville shaped her. She’s spent 17 years serving it.
An Asheville High School graduate, public-school parent, lawyer and three-term mayor who stands up for Asheville in Raleigh and Washington.
Her story
Local roots, and a record of getting things done.
Esther was first elected to Asheville City Council in 2009 and became Vice-Mayor in 2011. Voters elected her Mayor in 2013, and re-elected her in 2017 and 2022. Throughout, she has prioritized equity through community investments in housing, infrastructure and city services.
Her vision is a city where working families can afford to live, neighborhoods are protected from climate risks, affordable housing is preserved and created, and opportunity and jobs are within reach for everyone.
Outside City Hall, Esther is a partner at Van Winkle Law Firm, where she practices title and easement litigation. In 2012 she was named “Most Valuable Mountain Area Volunteer Lawyer” for her pro-bono work through Pisgah Legal Services.
At a glance
Hometown
Asheville · Asheville High School
Education
BA, University of Colorado Boulder
JD & MPA, UNC-Chapel Hill
Profession
Partner, Van Winkle Law Firm
City service
City Council 2009 · Vice-Mayor 2011 · Mayor since 2013
Family
Married to Mark Harris; three sons
Her time in office
Seventeen years of showing up for Asheville.
2009
Elected to City Council
2011
Becomes Vice-Mayor
2013
Elected Mayor
2017
Re-elected Mayor
2022
Re-elected Mayor
2024
Leads the city through Hurricane Helene
2026
Running to finish the job
Family
A public-school family, rooted in Buncombe County.
Esther and her husband, Mark Harris, raised three sons in Asheville; all three went on to UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State. Mark teaches social studies at Enka High School and coaches wrestling and cross-country. Mark is a Buncombe County native. Both are public-school graduates.
Leadership & honors
Trusted to lead beyond city limits.
Co-chair
Gov. Josh Stein’s Advisory Committee on WNC Recovery
Former Chair
North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition
Member
U.S. Conference of Mayors Homelessness Task Force
Member
Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity (MORE)
2025 honoree
Public Leadership in the Arts Award, Americans for the Arts
2012 honoree
“Most Valuable Mountain Area Volunteer Lawyer,” Pisgah Legal Services
“
To be brave and relentless and keep the focus on moving forward.
— Esther, on her promise to voters
Help finish what she started.
Early voting runs Oct 15–31. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov 3.