Three Democrats Vie to Replace Todd Williams, Debate Jail Capacity, Diversion

Incumbent District Attorney Todd Williams, first elected in 2014, announced in a Substack letter that he "plans to leave after his current term ends in 2026 and pursue a new path for himself and his family," setting up a March 3, 2026, Democratic primary that multiple local outlets say will effectively determine his successor because no Republican has filed to run.

All three declared Democrats, Courtney Virginia Booth, Katie Kurdys and Martin Moore, appeared at a Jan. 28 forum at the East Asheville Public Library hosted by the Asheville chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and at a Feb. 13 forum hosted by a local business group, where candidates repeatedly raised jail capacity and the county jail’s pretrial population, diversion programs and case backlogs as top priorities. At both events the candidates voiced agreement on prioritizing violent crime, adding a mental health court and clearing the courthouse backlog, while offering different implementation plans.

Courtney Virginia Booth, a more-than-20-year assistant public defender in Buncombe County who narrowly lost the 2022 DA primary to Williams by 101 votes, framed her campaign around change and experience. Booth told the DSA forum, "We’ve never had a DA that matches our ideals here in Buncombe County," and added, "The reason I wanted to run is that we can do something different." 828newsnow reported Williams criticized Booth’s experience and past campaign finance compliance, and urged voters to weigh the candidates’ experience and qualifications.

Martin Moore, a Buncombe County commissioner and attorney, sought to position himself between tough-on-crime and lenient approaches, calling the "Tough? Lenient? Or something else?" question "loaded" at the Feb. 13 forum and arguing prosecutors must use discretion: "You can't blindly say, 'I'm going to be lenient to every single person.' Your job as an attorney is to use your discretion and decide which folks are dangerous and which folks are people who need help." 828newsnow said Williams "praised Kurdys and Moore as qualified contenders."

Katie Kurdys, listed in filings as a Senior Assistant District Attorney in Buncombe County, has no direct forum quotes in the available reporting but was identified by Williams as a qualified contender and described in social media impressions as someone who could "hit the ground running." Reddit user kdubya000 characterized Moore as "the establishment pick" and noted Booth's strong 2022 showing; that post reflects online voter conversation but is user commentary rather than a formal endorsement.

The county’s early voting window runs Feb. 12–28, with the March 3 primary the decisive contest given the lack of Republican challengers. Local media engagement around the race is modest but active: a WLOS Facebook post about the three candidates showed 42 reactions, 27 comments and 5 shares in the sample capture. Voters can confirm polling locations and hours with the Buncombe County Board of Elections ahead of early voting and the March 3 primary.