Patsy Keever

Patsy Keever (born December 20, 1947) is a North Carolina educator and Democratic politician.

Patsy Keever was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She attended NC public schools and graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in Elementary Education. She started graduate work, earning a master's degree in Education from Western Carolina University. Keever and her late husband John F. Keever were married for 34 years. They lived in Asheville where they raised two daughters. She has four grandchildren and continues to reside in Asheville, where she lives with her second husband Jim Aycock, former publisher of Black Mountain News.

Keever was a teacher for over 25 years. For the majority of her career, she taught 8th grade social studies and language arts. She retired from teaching in 2002 to give full-time care to her sick husband, who died from cancer the following year.

Keever served as the president of the local and district chapters of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE).

Keever has been active in Asheville and Buncombe County for over 40 years. She has held leadership positions with numerous community organizations, including CarePartners, Buncombe County Library Board of Trustees, Buncombe County Board of Health, United Way, Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, Asheville/Buncombe League of Women Voters, and the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Task Force.

Keever won election to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners while still teaching full-time. She was elected for three consecutive terms.

In 2004, Keever ran for the United States House of Representatives in North Carolina's 11th congressional district. She won the Democratic primary with 81% of the vote. However, she lost the hard-fought election by a margin of 55% – 45% to incumbent Republican Charles H. Taylor. Keever's campaign received strong support from Democrats in the 11th District and nationally. She also received significant support from national organizations including the National Association for Education, EMILY’s List, International Union of Police Associations, International Association of Firefighters, and the Sierra Club.

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