Rep. Clampitt laid to rest
Rep. Mike Clampitt, seen here speaking after Tropical Storm ravaged eastern portions of Haywood County in August 2021, had battled leukemia for much of the past year.
Cory Vaillancourt photo
Mike Clampitt, the Swain County native and retired fire captain who represented portions of Western North Carolina in the General Assembly until his passing after a long illness on March 18, was laid to rest at the Lauada Cemetery in Bryson City on April 4, after a service at Western Carolina University’s Bardo Arts Center.
As a Republican, Clampitt won his first term in the legislature in 2016, defeating Waynesville Democrat Joe Sam Queen, but then lost to Queen in 2018. In 2020, Clampitt again prevailed over Queen and never looked back, winning against other opponents in 2022 and 2024. Clampitt was poised to seek his fifth term in the General Assembly after winning his March 3 Primary Election handily but passed away at Duke University Hospital in Durham barely two weeks later.
Discussions on who will replace Clampitt in the General Assembly and on the November ballot are ongoing; while they needn’t be the same person, Transylvania County Democrat Mark Burrows awaits whoever is selected to run.
