Mountain biking in DuPont was a favorite activity for Caleb Rudow when he was growing up.
“I would bike with my dad, and when we were going uphill, he would always say you can go as slow as you need to but don’t give up,” Caleb said. “That’s a lesson that has stuck with me.”
Now that he is running to unseat Chuck Edwards to represent NC11 in Congress, Caleb returns to what he learned on the trails at DuPont. “Sometimes the race is hard. But compared to what others have done—what my grandparents did during war, for example—it’s the least I can do, and I want to give it my all.”
In fact, Caleb’s mood right now is “hopeful, joyful, excited,” and he feels that the campaign is going well.
A tradition of public service
Since 2022, Caleb has served in the NC General Assembly, representing District 116. Despite being part of the Democratic minority, “there’s a lot of good that we can do,” he said. “There are a lot of things that we’ve accomplished working across the aisle—in the area of affordable housing, for example, and just being there to speak truth to power.”
Caleb emphasizes that public service is a strong family tradition he is happy to continue. “I grew up with do- gooders. My mom has been involved in community service ever since she moved to Asheville and my dad was active in conservation and was a lawyer for Habitat for Humanity.”
Caleb himself was a volunteer in the Peace Corps before serving in the NC General Assembly. As many have noted, his current seat is considered safely Democratic, but he feels that challenging Edwards is the right thing to do.
“First of all, I think the race is winnable. Second, we only win if we always keep working at it. Third, it’s not just me—it’s everybody on the Democratic team; we all boost one another.”
According to Caleb, challenging Edwards is especially worth the effort because WNC has had exceptionally poor representation in Washington for years, especially during the era of Madison Cawthorn and Mark Meadows.
“Edwards is all about himself, just like the others who came before him,” Caleb said. “He’s worked to get money for his McDonald’s—PPP loans etc.—but he hasn’t worked for solutions to the real challenges WNC faces like housing and healthcare. He hasn’t delivered—he’s simply been divisive.”
WNC roots
Caleb’s family has been in Western North Carolina for three generations, ever since his great uncle and grandfather moved to the area to work with Mills Manufacturing, a parachute manufacturer that fulfills military contracts.
He and his two brothers grew up in Buncombe County and attended public schools. Caleb earned his undergraduate degree at UNC Chapel Hill before getting a master’s in Global Policy Studies from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
His website explains that “the core of his work is his love for people, diverse cultures, and collaboration towards a common goal,” and his background underscores this idea. While he and his father’s family are Jewish, his mother’s side of the family is filled with Methodist ministers. “Anyone growing up among a real mix of people knows how to adapt and learns how to collaborate and appreciate different views.... I’d say my superpower is either my ability to listen to others or to stick with a problem longer than most people, to keep working toward that solution.”
When he’s not working or volunteering, Caleb enjoys traveling and assortment of other hobbies. “I’m a bit of a serial hobbyist,” he confided. “I was in a David Bowie cover band. I’ve been into clogging, Cuban salsa dancing, and I play several instruments. I grew up going to the Apple Festival and it was fun to run in the 5K for that this year.”
In the NC General Assembly, Caleb has even been game to join his GOP counterparts on singalongs and sky diving.
“Serving in the General Assembly is a very interesting job. You have to stand up for what you believe but also find ways to work together as much as possible. I’ve built on a lot of the things I’ve learned and I believe that will serve me well in the US Congress.”