Asheville mayor won't seek re-election

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy says she will not seek a third term in office.

Bellamy said Thursday she will seek the 10th District congressional seat now held by U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry.

The 40-year-old Bellamy became Asheville's first African-American mayor in 2005. She easily won re-election in 2009, getting 80 percent of the vote.

She lost in the Democratic primary in her last attempt for the congressional seat.

A city councilwoman and a former city employee already have announced they will seek the city's top post. Filing opens in July with the election in November.