Leslie Carey, chair of the Henderson County Democratic Party, has stepped down from her position as her family faces death threats connected to her husband’s political activism.

“Since September, our family has been dealing with some threats being made to our lives,” Carey explained, announcing her resignation in an Oct. 23 Democratic Party newsletter.

“(Former Vice Chair Linda Ford) is incredible and is going to make a wonderful county chair for the Henderson County Democratic Party,” Carey told the Times-News in an Oct. 28 email, but declined to comment further while on a family trip.

The family’s home was flooded in Tropical Storm Helene, causing them “hardships” that contributed to Carey’s decision to step down, she said in the newsletter.

Smoky Mountain News first reported Carey’s

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