From Staff Reports 

WAYNESVILLE — Challenger Merry Guy easily won the race for the chair of N.C. GOP Congressional District 11 that includes much of Western North Carolina during the district convention April 26 at Tuscola High School here.  

Specifically, Guy defeated Michelle Woodhouse, the incumbent district chair, by a 55 to 45 percent margin.

Both women live in Henderson County, where Guy received 72 votes, while Woodhouse netted eight votes.

The weighted vote was 431-349, which was about the same as the actual vote.

Three hundred two people attended the convention, which Is considered an excellemt turnout for such an event, Guy told the Hendersonville Daily Planet during a telephone interview on April 27.

With a note of pride, Guy also pointed out that Henderson County “had 80 delegates there,” which, she said, “must be some kind of record,” while adjoining (and much larger in population) Buncombe County had 40 delegates at the convention.

As for Guy’s response to her victory and her immediate plans as N.C. GOP District 11 chair, she told the Daily Planet the following:

 “We’re very grateful for the two terms that Michele served. And we plan to build on the foundation that she started... and get to work to win the elections in 2026.”

At the close of the convention, the newly elected officers assumed command, including (besides Guy), Hunter Clark as first vice chair (from McDowell County); Molly McKim, second vice chair (from Jackson County); Ashley Hart as secretary (from Transylvania County); and Loretta Reynolds (from Buncombe County) as treasurer.