Esther Manheimer


Esther E. Manheimer is a politician and attorney in the United States. She is the mayor of Asheville, North Carolina.

Early life

Manheimer was born in Denmark to American citizens. Her family returned to the United States when she was three and lived in cities in Washington, California, and Maryland before moving to Asheville, North Carolina when she was 17. Manheimer graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, and she served as campus director of the American Movement for Israel while attending college there. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning degrees in law and a Master of Public Administration, and returned to Asheville in 2002.

Political career

Manheimer was elected to the Asheville City Council in 2009 and served until 2013.
She was elected mayor of Asheville in 2013.
In March 2016, Manheimer spoke out against the controversial Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, state legislation that eliminated anti-discrimination protections for the LGBT community.

Personal life

Manheimer is married to Mark Harris. They have three sons. She also has a sister, Kora, who lives on the west coast, and a brother, Aaron, who lives in Chicago.