FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 8, 2026
Finding ‘Common Ground’ — App State’s Civic Literacy Initiative to host political strategists for midterm election discussion
BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s Civic Literacy Initiative will host political strategists Paul Shumaker and Morgan Jackson for “Common Ground: Midterm Strategy and Dialogue Across Difference” at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts.
Shumaker represents Republican Michael Whatley’s campaign and Jackson represents Democrat Roy Cooper’s campaign in the North Carolina U.S. Senate race.
The free public event will explore the upcoming midterm election, including perspectives from the Whatley and Cooper campaigns, as well as practical insights for how to work across party lines, the power of dialoguing across differences and the importance of voting. Voter registration will be available before and after the event.
“Midterm elections often see lower voter turnout, but these elections have major impacts,” said Ashley Vinson, associate director for App State Student Affairs. “With the North Carolina Senate race drawing spotlight from across the country, hosting this event allows our community to see the importance of staying engaged while demonstrating what constructive dialogue across difference truly looks like.”
Shumaker, who graduated from App State in 1983, is a North Carolina Republican political strategist and the founder and president of Capitol Communications. With more than four decades of experience, he has created data-driven strategies for candidates and businesses at every level across the state’s political landscape.
With five U.S. Senate campaigns in North Carolina, Shumaker has won more U.S. Senate races in the state than any consultant over the past 25 years. His mathematical approach to political strategy has been used in numerous campaigns, including the 2010 effort that flipped the North Carolina General Assembly to a Republican majority after 114 years in the minority.
Jackson is a North Carolina Democratic political strategist and co-founder of Nexus Strategies. A veteran of high-profile political and public policy efforts, Jackson has served in senior roles with presidential, gubernatorial and congressional candidates and advised governors, U.S. senators and members of Congress.
A longtime advisor to Gov. Josh Stein and former Gov. Roy Cooper, Jackson was instrumental in Cooper’s 2016 campaign and his 2020 reelection, as well as Stein’s 2024 election victory. He continues to serve as Stein’s chief political advisor and in the same role for Attorney General Jeff Jackson.
No registration is required for the event. App State students, faculty and staff and the general public are encouraged to attend.
