CARL MUMPOWER: Current Asheville city council member
and former Republican congressional candidate * Campaign photo

Mumpower Thanks WNC and Volunteers for Support During His Failed Congressional Campaign

Editor's Note: Follows is Carl Mumpower's complete and unedited statement released on November 13, 2008, following his unsuccessful bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Heath Shuler in the November 4th election. | For additonal news about the Mumpower-Shuler contest, Click Here>

Writes Mumpower:

From the Desk of
Carl Mumpower, Asheville City Councilman
One Oak Plaza, Suite 310, Asheville, NC 28801
828-252-8390 * drmumpower@aol.com  

We Did Just Fine

A friend called today to share her disappointment with the outcome of our one year investment in a run for Congress. I have received dozens of such calls, and my response has been the same, "It's OK, we did just fine." It's a message I would like to share with our volunteers, supporters, and the 121,000 people across WNC who voted for an independent conservative Republican who put principles first. Together, we have a lot to be proud of.

2008 was a year for Democrats. It was also a year for politicians with money, politicians willing to promise the moon, and politicians with the perfected ability to behave as a conservative while concealing liberal voting records. It was a year where a search for hope may have trumped a vision of reality. It was a year where a Republican Party that had betrayed its potential and principles received a past due bill. In spite of it all, we did just fine.

Every Republican who ran for Congress against an incumbent in North Carolina lost.  The strongest vote getter, to his credit, raised over a half million dollars for 37% of the votes in his Raleigh District while we came through as the next strongest with 36% from contributions of $87,000. The rest of the pack received 28, 30, 31, 31, and 33 percent respectively and spent a whole lot of money getting beat. In a pack of Republicans who were universally defeated, we did just fine.

Ours was the only Congressional campaign in the country who refused PAC and lobbyist money, party money, and the questionable help of paid political hit men. Our volunteers, personal contributions, and a line of credit on my home gave us everything we needed to fund and man our campaign without obligations to any special interest, party interest, or power interest. In fact, as a candidate, I never personally asked anyone for financial help.  We did not try to buy our seat in Congress, and still did just fine.

Our campaign burned shoe leather and tire rubber all over WNC. We worked day and night in one of the largest districts, hit every county hard and often, and never let off the gas for a full year. We not only fought to the front against our opponent and his Party, but we also fought to the rear against a corrupt Republican leadership structure that placed power, party, and popularity before principles." We were nonetheless successful in getting 12 of 15 counties to commit to a "Principles First" campaign centered on the true principles of the Republican Party. Most of those counties came to understand our mission and did just fine in helping us press forward.

When our opponent refused to face to face debate, we debated a life size cardboard cut-out throughout WNC until he changed his mind and agreed to a radio debate just 5 days before the election. The listener poll said we won that debate 76% to our opponents 21% and evidently felt we did just fine.

If there was an organized event in WNC where political candidates were welcomed, we were there. We made good strategic use of traditional media outlets like television, newspaper, and radio ads, but also maximized our use of email and internet technologies. In all cases we kept the message honest and avoided personal attacks on my opponent. If you didn't see a lot of our signs, it was because we pressed our volunteers to obey the rules and keep them off the roads and public rights of way. We were not interested in breaking the law to get elected. We did just fine with making sure we had an active campaign and kept our integrity in the process.

Our campaign stepped out on the issues. Unlike my opponent, I personally answered the Political Courage Test and every other major candidate questionnaire that came my way.  Every position statement, press release, or editorial that came out in my name came directly from my hand. We took a principle based position on every issue that came along over the past year and never pandered or avoided controversy to be politically correct. We took honest positions that many considered political suicide, but nonetheless managed to do just fine.

I have no idea if I will run again. I do know that if I do, I won't change a thing. With the help of a whole lot of good people, we ran the most unique and principle driven campaign in America. I'm tired, but I have a smile in my heart. I know it was an honor to be in that position - doing it standing straight up was a special experience. I also know there are many ways to measure who really wins. If winning is doing the right thing, for the right reasons, and in the right way, we did just fine.

Carl Mumpower
Asheville City Council
Former NC-11 Republican Congressional Candidate

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