Watauga's 2026 Election On The Ground

Campaign signs for a variety of candidates from both parties on October 18, 2026, outside the Watauga County Administration Building, where early voting is underway. Photo credit: Aspen Hickman

Aspen Hickman, Junior Editor and News Desk Lead for The Powderhorn

The cramped little office at the end of Boone’s King Street seems quite removed from national politics. The windows are almost entirely covered by local campaign signs, the table’s surface is obscured by informational flyers and volunteer training documents, and the furniture is a motley assemblage of leather couches and rickety old chairs. 

This is the headquarters of the Watauga Democratic Party, and today, they’re going door-knocking. People trickle in, a mix of college students, old ladies, and a couple of the party’s candidates, Adam Hege and Ellen Lamont, running for County Commissioner and School Board respectively. 

“I love canvassing,” Pam Williamson, the woman behind Pam’s Progressive Picks, one of the pieces of literature that will be handed out today, tells the group. “I've been canvassing for 40 years, and I absolutely love canvassing. It keeps me both politically in tune, but also just personally, it keeps me grounded in what people believe and what they think, and I think that communication is so important.”

Canvassing, 73-year-old Williamson’s favorite activity, is a campaign strategy that involves speaking to voters one-on-one, through door-knocking or phone calls. For today, groups have been assigned neighborhoods to walk with maps of the houses of potential voters. 

“Because of the district we're in, and the fact that we're basically focused on getting out of the vote, we're going to ‘friendly houses’,” said Lamont, who is running for School Board in District 1. “Just making sure people are getting out there and have a plan to vote.”

Watauga’s District 1, which includes Boone and App State, is the only majority Democratic district in the county after redistricting in 2024. Today, Williamson reminds the group, is about getting people to go to the polls. Previously, these efforts were focused on registering voters, but voter registration has ended. The only way for new voters to register now is if they register in person at an early voting site. Early voting will last until 3:00 pm on Halloween, with Election Day on November 3. 

The group disperses, some on foot to nearby neighborhoods and others by car to farther ones. Williamson reminds everyone to do “lit drops” at every door, not only the ones marked as likely to be receptive to the Democrat’s message. These “lit drops” include a copy of Pam’s Picks, as well as some information for the two candidates participating today, Hege and Lamont, and do not require a knock on the door. Williamson emphasizes that her picks are not only Democrats, but the people she thinks will best serve the county based on her thorough research and her personal opinions. Williamson also clarified that she does not speak for the whole party. 

Earlier on, the Democratic Party did more canvassing in other districts of Watauga, such as the majority-Republican District 4. Now, closer to the election, they are placing more focus on turnout.

“I don't try to sway anybody’s opinion until I find out what it is,” said Williamson about her efforts in other areas of the county. “By the time I'm 45 minutes into a conversation, I'll know whether we just need to call it a day and agree to disagree, or whether we ought to go get a beer together. I mean, they persuade me and I persuade them, I hope. And I think that's good. Not just politically, but all the way around.”

But most don’t get that far into a conversation. Getting an answer to the knock proves the most difficult part of canvassing, whether people don’t want to talk or aren’t home. Even the knocks that do get answered often result in short conversations one way or the other. In this district, despite the generally positive attitude towards Democratic candidates, the response is typically ‘yes, I’m registered, yes, I’m voting, and yes, I have a plan’ followed by a shut door. Still, Lamont takes a positive stance on the process.

“It lets people know you're out there,” said Lamont. “It puts a face on your campaign. You're actually getting to connect with the voters, and they see you actually are invested in the area.”

In the end, most of Watauga will likely go to Republican candidates. The party has also been campaigning through signs and other materials. However, they did not respond for comment on their efforts. Historically, the county has helped elect candidates such as Virginia Foxx, the representative for North Carolina’s District 5, which includes Watauga. 

“Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose, and right now, we've lost a lot in my opinion,” said Williamson. “I don't care what party you are. People can't afford healthcare. They can't afford childcare. They can't even afford to have a kid. All of that's being taken away, and we need to band together wherever we can find common ground and put a stop to this.”