Heated debate sparks local interest in representative seat for NC-119

Co-written and produced with Madyson Fair and Lili Stapel Health care and Medicaid expansion, housing, inflation, education, student loans forgiveness, opioid addiction, abortion were the topics for the only debate between the newly re-drawn 119 district for North Carolina Congress. The incumbent Mike Clampitt, a retired fire captain from Bryson City, won the district for […]

Election day at the Jackson County Board of Elections

Story co-produced with Luke Grozier, Jake Harkey, and Bryson Jusko Jackson County Board of Election voting site was the busy place during the midterm elections this year. Throughout the day there were steady number of people casting their votes. There were no long lines and the process was taking less then 10 minutes. Voters were […]

GOP candidate for District 119, Mike Clampitt wants students not to vote on campus

In an email interview with WCJ, District 119 NC House candidate Mike Clampitt said that he would prefer that WCU students not vote in this district. Clampitt believes that most students should, in fact, vote where their parents live. According to Cory Vaillancourt, a reporter from Smoky Mountain News, Clampitt had advocated for a bill, after he […]

Clampitt and Queen debate, ten years in the making

Joe Sam Queen (D) and Mike Clampitt the candidates for North Carolina House District 119, squared off in a debate for a saga that has nearly as many installments as the Harry Potter books. But, instead of casting spells, they attempt to get your vote cast for them. The debate took place at Western Carolina […]

North Carolina district 119 candidate profiles

As election day comes upon us, it’s crunch time for voters to decide who they want to represent them. Voters need to know who aligns more with their standards and look past the soundbites they hear from news outlets, social media and attack ads. Candidate profiles are vital to voters when making crucial decisions in […]

Well known rivals debate again: Clampitt vs. Queen

Southwestern Community College hosted a debate on Thursday, Oct. 18, for N.C. General Assembly District 119 incumbent Mike Clampitt (R) and competitor Joe Sam Queen (D) as a platform to persuade voters. Clampitt was a captain of the Charlotte Fire Department from 1977-2004. He has previously run for office for Swain Board of Commissioners and […]