RALEIGH — North Carolina statehouse Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Swain) died Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was 71.
Tributes and condolence messages began appearing on Clampitt’s Facebook page in wake of the news.
Clampitt represented the House District 119, which includes Jackson, Swain and Transylvania counties.
“We are saddened to hear about the passing of Representative Mike Clampitt,” the North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Jason Simmons said in a statement. “He was steadfast member of the NC Republican Party and his joyful presence will be missed. Our prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
Clampitt served four terms in the House. Clampitt recently won his March 3 primary race with nearly 57% of the vote against challengers Anna Ferguson and Mike Yow. He would have faced Democrat Mark Burrows in the upcoming November election. A replacement to fill the remainder of Clampitt’s term will be chosen by his party.
“Mike Clampitt was my friend, a colleague, and a true patriot,” House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) said in a statement. “For him, public service was both a calling and a duty, from his years as a fire captain to his time in the General Assembly. He loved the people he served and cared deeply about the issues that mattered most to his constituents in Western North Carolina.
“He faced cancer with the same courage that defined his life, carrying himself with strength and grounding himself in his unwavering faith in God every step of the way. On behalf of the entire North Carolina House of Representatives, we will miss him dearly. My prayers are with all who knew and loved him. May they find comfort in knowing Mike is with his Savior today.”
In past election years, Clampitt had battled multiple times with Democrat Joe Sam Queen for the seat, most recently losing to Queen in 2018 but winning his seat back in 2020. Before becoming a House member, Clampoitt served as an assistant sergeant-at-arms for the House chamber.
Following Hurricane Helene, Clampitt worked on disaster recovery issues. This past term, Clampitt served as vice chair of the House Select Committee on Hurricane Helene Recovery and vice chair of Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery.
Clampitt also chaired the Committee on Federal Relations and American Indian Affairs, which dovetailed with his legislative work on tribal issues as his district includes the home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a 57,000-acre area known as the Qualla Boundary.
Additionally, he was a member of committees on Appropriations, Justice and Public Safety, Health, Higher Education, and Wildlife Resources.
Other state leaders reacted to the news.
House Majority Whip Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus) wrote, “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Representative Mike Clampitt. Since arriving in Raleigh, I’ve valued Mike not only as a colleague but as a friend and a steadfast conservative. From serving Western North Carolina during Hurricane Helene to his years as a fire captain, Mike embodied a life of service to our state.”
“Before I was sworn in as Governor, Representative Mike Clampitt was one of the first people I called as we worked to rebuild western NC after Hurricane Helene,” Governor Josh Stein said in a statement on X. “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.”
North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek also offered condolences, posting a message with a photo of the two men on the floor of the House chamber.
“Sorry to hear of the passing of North Carolina House of Representatives member Mike Clampitt,” Boliek said. “He was a true North Carolinian who proudly and fiercely fought on behalf of Western North Carolina every day. I still have the wooden coin he gave me when we first met that served as his ‘business card.’ We will miss him. God speed my friend.”
Clampitt earned an associate degree in fire science and technology from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (1976) and was a former Charlotte Fire Department captain. He also directed fire and rescue training at Central Piedmont Community College.
