People, place and principle: Remembering Rep. Mike Clampitt
Following Clampitt’s death, a North Carolina flag was draped over his House seat.
Jamie White, North Carolina House of Representatives Principal Clerk, photo
In October 2018, Raleigh lobbyist Fred Bone was traveling in Western North Carolina and decided to go for an overnight backpacking trip in Swain County, leaving his car at Fontana Lake. From there, he caught a ride to the Road to Nowhere, from which he embarked.
After setting up camp in a rainstorm and suffering a rough night, Bone broke camp early the next morning and headed out, but he needed a ride from the trailhead back to his car. He found a cell signal near a mountaintop and called the only person he could think of in the area that he thought might be up for a quick favor — Mike Clampitt. It was 9:30 a.m. on the first day of early voting for a host of elections, including Clampitt’s.
When Bone explained his situation to Clampitt, the Swain County native laughed and said he’d be there. Not only did he help Bone in his moment of need — he took extra time to make the lobbyist feel at home in the far-western county.
“Mike picked me up, and we spent an entire day riding around his district, went to his family graveyard, went to his church and sat there and had a Coca-Cola,” Bone recalled. “He showed me the family home. He spent probably four or five hours with me and then took me back to my car. It’s the best time I have ever had. But yeah, that’s Mike.”
Clampitt died last week after battling cancer for over a year. Bone’s anecdote may seem surprising to some — a man running for election not obsessively electioneering on the first day of early voting. But for those who knew Clampitt best, such good-natured selflessness is what they’d come to expect.
A native of Lower Alarka in Swain County, Clampitt spent nearly three decades as a firefighter, retiring as a captain with the Charlotte Fire Department 2004, and later won election to the North Carolina House of Representatives four times. After losing in 2012 and 2014 to Haywood County Democrat Joe Sam Queen, the third time was a charm, and Clampitt bested his old foe in 2016. He lost one last time to Queen in 2018 but regained his seat in 2020 and has held it since.
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In April of last year, Clampitt announced he had been diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare bone marrow cancer. In a newsletter explaining the diagnosis, Clampitt said he had begun treatment.
“This is undoubtedly one of the most difficult periods of my life, but I remain hopeful and grounded by the unwavering support of my family, friends and this incredible community,” he wrote.
Despite the diagnosis, Clampitt sought a fifth term in office and came away with a strong victory in the Republican Primary Election earlier this month over a pair of opponents. He was set to face off against Transylvania County Democrat Mark Burrows in November’s General Election.
But over the last several weeks, his condition had worsened significantly, and last month, he was admitted to the hospital.
Clampitt used his legislative position to focus on public safety, advocacy for first responders and crime victims, combatting impaired driving and, in the wake of Hurricane Helene in September 2024, disaster recovery. He stood against a hurricane relief bill that largely advanced unrelated policy changes, including removing the governor’s longstanding ability to appoint state and county boards of election to the state auditor, Republican Dave Boliek.
“It was very embarrassing to me that my colleagues would take advantage of a disaster such as Hurricane Helene and use it as a vehicle for some of the agendas that were being promoted, which I believe would have passed anyhow,” Clampitt said at the time.
While he had said that the unrelated measures shouldn’t be tied to disaster relief, he ultimately voted to overturn Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of the bill, signaling a change of a heart likely prompted by pressure from House leadership.
Nonetheless, in the months following the Hurricane Helene, Clampitt emerged as a strong voice for Western North Carolina, even though much of his district was spared the worst impacts of the storm.
“Before I was sworn in as governor, Rep. Mike Clampitt was one of the first people I called as we worked to rebuild western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene,” Gov. Josh Stein, who was Attorney General when Helene hit, said on social media. “He was a steadfast public servant for his community in WNC, and today I am saddened by the news of his passing. May his memory be a blessing.”
Clampitt enjoyed getting out and campaigning and meeting voters in his district. File photo
In October 2021, ProPublica published a story about the significant number of elected Republicans nationwide with ties to the Oath Keepers, an organization with anti-government sentiments that operates as a sort of loose-knit militia. The Oath Keepers played a prominent role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol aimed at interfering with the certification of the results of the 2020 election in which Donald Trump lost the Presidential election to Joe Biden. According ProPublica’s reporting, Clampitt’s name appeared on a list of more than 35,000 Oath Keepers that a hacker provided to the publication. However, for many, that wasn’t surprising, or even unknown. In fact, Clampitt told The Smoky Mountain News in 2014. In 2021, he said to SMN that while he was a member, he didn’t consider Oath Keepers to be a “militia.”
“I never attended a meeting in the past that there was any armed participation and organized attempt to conduct any kind of paramilitary training or education,” he said. “[It’s] concerned citizens that wanted to ensure that their rights aren’t infringed upon by the federal government.”
Over a decade ago, Clampitt was appointed as the House sergeant at arms, a role that required him to maintain order and security during legislative sessions. During that time, he met Young Bae, who was then an assistant sergeant at arms. The two developed a friendship, and in 2023, Clampitt hired Bae as a legislative assistant.
Bae discussed Clampitt’s passing in the most recent newsletter from the late representative’s office, noting that Clampitt often reminded him that his first responsibility was to serve the people of the district, work that Bae wants to continue in some fashion.
“I will greatly miss this wonderful man,” Bae wrote. “Representative Clampitt’s dedication, leadership and kindness will be remembered by many across our district and throughout North Carolina.”
For years, Clampitt was steadfast in his care for his ailing mother prior to her death. Bae told SMN that in recent years, he has also been caring for aging parents, something for which his boss offered consistent emotional support, and in such, Bae said, helped him grow as a man.
“He told me that responsibly is something you have to take as son,” Bae said. “He got me on the right path. He was that kind of person.”
Bae added that Clampitt’s passion for serving his district set the standard he now holds himself to.
“He believed in something, and then he wanted to push for it, even if maybe people would be against it,” Bae said. “He knew certain bills will not be passed. He still pushed it because he wanted to represent his constituents.”
Clampitt was well-known in Raleigh and Western North Carolina for wearing attention-grabbing, flamboyant suits at events or on the House floor, usually matched with a bow tie and a pair of Chuck Taylor shoes. The suits often celebrated the seasons — a festive suit in December; during the summer — barbecue season — he could be seen campaigning in an American flag ensemble.
In that, Clampitt broke the mold. Politics can be a bastion of big egos. While Clampitt took his job seriously, he never fell into the trap of taking himself too seriously. Known for his approachability and sense of humor, that universal appeal enabled him to connect with both constituents and fellow legislators.
One of Clampitt’s top priorities over his last few years in office was reforming the state’s impaired driving laws. In that quest, he proposed the Sober Operator Act during multiple sessions. The bill sought to, among other things, lower the legal blood alcohol limit while driving from .08 to .05 and allow roadside breathalyzer results to be introduced in court as probable cause.
Clampitt pictured with one of his closest friends, Ellen Pitt, and her dog. Donated photo
A seemingly unlikely ally in that endeavor over the last couple of years has been Democrat Eric Ager, who represents Buncombe County. In an era where things seem more polarized than any other time in recent memory, such cooperation among members of the two major parties may seem rare, but Ager argues that the relationship he and Clampitt maintained despite other disagreements is more common in Raleigh than most people think. He likes to think such relationships don’t get as much attention as more contentious ones.
“I don’t think it’s as dire as we see in the press most of the time,” Ager said. “We certainly didn’t agree politically on a lot, but this was one area where we did agree that we could work together and make a difference in making our roads safer. And so I was really pleased to work with him on that.”
Ager said he intends on continuing the fight for the Sober Operator Act, the newest iteration of which is already drafted and bears Clampitt’s name as a primary sponsor.
“We’ll keep that work going for sure,” he said. “But I think we’ll miss Mike’s energy.”
Clampitt’s greatest ally in advocating for new impaired driving laws has been Ellen Pitt, who heads up the Western North Carolina DWI Taskforce. Pitt seems to ascribe to the old mantra often repeated by American military leaders over the years: “Lead me, follow me or get out of my way.” But with Clampitt, things were different. He was the one person capable of matching her stride for stride, becoming the committed legislative partner she needed.
Pitt first met Clampitt at one of his campaign events over a decade ago. She immediately liked him.
“I don’t know if it’s like instinct or something, but I knew he wasn’t going to be one of your polished Gucci suit-wearing types, and I knew that he understood people that had to work for a living,” Pitt said.
Pitt echoed Bae’s words in saying she admired that Clampitt was “politically fearless.”
“He didn’t jump into things, but if he made his mind up and felt like he was right, if he felt there was something [law enforcement] officers needed or crime victims needed that they weren’t getting, once he was in, he was in,” she said.
Clampitt was frequently in touch with Pitt, even when he was in the hospital, right up until he was no longer able to talk or text. She received word Monday, March 14, that her friend didn’t have long left, and early Tuesday morning, she headed to Raleigh to be at his side. She said he’d wanted to come back to the mountains one last time, but doctors determined it wasn’t possible in that late hour.
She said goodbye around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and he died about an hour later. Before she parted, she gave Clampitt one last hug and reminded him that he’d done what he needed to do in the time he had on Earth.
Pitt feels that Clampitt is a “once-in-a-lifetime” friend.”
“After he went in the hospital, and we were talking on the phone, I said, ‘Have I ever failed you?’ And he said, ‘No, I don’t think you ever have.’ I said, ‘Well, you’ve never failed me or our team ever,’” Pitt said. “There’s not too many friendships that you can say that a person never failed you.”
“That’s Mike,” she added.
The funeral service for Rep. Mike Clampitt will be held Saturday, April 4, at the Bardo Arts Center, located at 199 Centennial Drive in Cullowhee, on the campus of Western Carolina University. The outer doors will open at 10 a.m., with inner doors opening at 10:30 a.m. A public viewing will follow, allowing attendees to pay their respects before being seated. The formal service will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude around 2:30 p.m.
Following the service, a procession led by firefighters and/or State Troopers will escort the casket to Lauada Cemetery, located on Lauada Cemetery Road in Bryson City, where the final committal will take place and is expected to conclude around 3:30 p.m.
Clampitt was seeking election to his fifth term in office Earlier this month. He won the Republican primary for the seat easily over two challengers and was supposed to face off against Transylvania County Democrat Mark Burrows, who lost to Clampitt in the 2024 General Election, this coming November.
According to state law, the governor must appoint Clampitt’s successor, as recommended by the Republican Party, within seven days of receiving the recommendation. That recommendation will be determined by a weighted vote of the GOP Executive Committees from each county comprising the district. In this case, that means Jackson and Transylvania counties, with larger numbers of Republican voters, will have a greater say in who fills the rest of the term, which will end at the beginning of next year.
Swain County GOP Chair David Sawyer told The Smoky Mountain News on the afternoon of March 23 that a final decision hasn’t been made on exactly how the process to put a Republican on the ballot in Clampitt’s place will play out, but he thinks it may look similar, if not identical, to the process to determine who finishes out the term.
