Spence Campbell, chairman of the Henderson County Republican Party, has announced he plans to vie for the 11th District Congressional seat currently held by Democrat Heath Shuler.
Campbell, 63, is the second local Republican to announce, along with Asheville City Council member Carl Mumpower.
“Heath Shuler ran as a conservative Democrat but has voted overwhelmingly with the liberal leadership in Congress,” Campbell said in his Oct. 1 announcement. “My life’s experience instilled in me the conservative values that Western North Carolinians cherish. As your Congressman, I will fight for our principles and work hard to represent our people effectively.”
In addition to leading the county GOP, Campbell also serves as a member of the county’s Department of Social Services Board. From 1997 to 2004 he was president of Ewbank & Ewbank Insurance and Real Estate in Hendersonville. Campbell spent the bulk of his adult life in the military, serving two tours of Vietnam and a career in the Army’s intelligence branch.
— Hal L. Millard, staff writer
