Paul Shumaker

President, Capitol Communications, Inc.

For over four decades, Paul Shumaker has created winning strategies for political organizations and Republican candidates at every level of government, leading to a fundamental transformation of North Carolina’s political landscape. As one of the longest serving and successful political consultants in the state, his work is distinguished by its clear and honest direction, based on historical, current, and projected business and political climates. Early in his career, Paul worked for Congressman James T. Broyhill, followed by Governor Jim Martin during his successful 1984 and 1988 gubernatorial campaigns. He served as Campaign Director for the North Carolina Republican Party in 1986, and held various positions within the Martin administration, including Chief Deputy of the NC Department of Commerce.<br /> <br /> Paul Shumaker is credited with several noteworthy “firsts” in North Carolina. In 2000, Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry was elected as the first Republican woman to statewide office, and Supreme Court Justice I. Beverly Lake became the first Republican Chief Justice in over 100 years. He served as a campaign consultant to all four Republican Supreme Court Justices, including Mark Martin, who received the largest win‐margin of any Republican candidate in North Carolina History.<br /> <br /> Working with former North Carolina House Speaker Harold Brubaker, Paul pioneered a long‐term strategy to build a governing majority in the General Assembly. He set the standard for utilizing survey research in legislative campaigns, and created the first centralized and coordinated legislative effort. In 2010, helped Republicans win control of both houses for the first time since 1896, and in 2012 strengthened those majorities.<br /> <br /> Paul has extensive experience working federal campaigns. He served as the general consultant for US Senator Richard Burr’s electoral victories to both congress and the senate, including his 2004 defeat of Clinton advisor Erskine Bowles, hailed by National Journal as one of the biggest wins nationwide. In 2014, he worked as the general consultant for US Senator Thom Tillis’ successful campaign against the Democrat incumbent, Kay Hagan. He served as a consultant to Congressmen Richard Hudson, and currently works on the re‐election campaigns of Congressmen Robert Pittenger and George Holding.<br /> <br /> Paul is founder and president of Capitol Communications, Inc. – a consulting firm specializing in government relations and strategic planning for political, corporate, and issue clients, and is also co‐owner of Strategic Partners Solutions.<br /> <br /> He is married to the former Ann Burton, and they live in Granite Falls. They have three sons – Tom, David, and Hays.