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~Mumpower for Congress Committee~
Press Release
Saturday, March 29, 2008
11th
District Republican Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower offered his
congratulations to challenger John Armor today for his win in a Macon County
Straw poll taken among Republicans at that county's annual convention. Armor, a
Highlands lawyer and resident of Macon County, won the contest handily,
garnering 32 of the votes cast to Mumpower's 19; Spence Campbell of Henderson
County came in last with 11 votes.
"It's always gratifying when you win on your home turf," said
Mumpower. "I'm very happy for John and Michelle."
This is the first such win for Armor and the eighth straw poll conducted among
district Republicans in recent weeks. Armor, who has not otherwise done well in
straw polls among Republicans, challenged former Congressman Charles Taylor for
his party's nomination two years ago. He lost substantially to Taylor, and
Taylor, who held the office for sixteen years, was in turn defeated by Democrat
Heath Shuler. The winner of the Republican Primary, to be held on May 6, will
go on to face Shuler in the general election this fall.
Mumpower, an Asheville City Councilman, has decisively won previous straw polls
conducted in Buncombe, Graham, Swain, McDowell, and Rutherford Counties. He
also soundly defeated Campbell on his home turf, in a poll conducted by the
Henderson County Republican Men's Club in February. Campbell came back to
defeat Mumpower in another poll taken in Henderson County at their
Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner on March 8.
Macon County Republicans also polled convention attendees on their preference
for a candidate for the Republican nomination for North Carolina's Governor.
State Senator and businessman Fred Smith received 34 votes, former Supreme
Court Justice Bob Orr received 5 votes, attorney Bill Graham 3 votes, and
Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory received just 1 vote.
The straw polls, conducted among Republicans at various conventions and
dinners, are in no way scientific but offer candidates an informal gauge of the
measure of their support among party regulars and voters typically more
familiar with the issues and candidates.
Republican Parties of the other counties in the 11th District, Yancey, Madison,
Polk, Haywood, Transylvania, Jackson, Clay and Cherokee, have, to date, not
conducted congressional straw polls according to the Mumpower campaign.
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