Alfred Whitesides

Incumbent Buncombe County Commissioner in Asheville, North Carolina

Alfred Whitesides is a candidate for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District 3 in Asheville, North Carolina — 2026 Primary Election. Running as Democratic Party.

Alfred 'Al' Whitesides is the first African American to serve as a Buncombe County Commissioner, a role he was first appointed to in 2016. He is a retired banker with a long history of community activism, including co-founding the Asheville Student Commission on Racial Equality (ASCORE) to desegregate local businesses in the 1960s. He served in the U.S. Navy and earned his undergraduate degree from North Carolina Central University. Whitesides has served on numerous boards, including the UNC Asheville Board of Trustees and the Asheville City School Board.