North Carolina Representative G. K. Butterfield announced today that he is not running for re-election. PRE’s Meredith Radford has this.
Congressman G. K. Butterfield has served the 1st Congressional District for North Carolina since 2004, which covers more than a dozen mostly rural counties in Northeastern North Carolina, including Greene, Martin, Washington, Wayne, Wilson, and parts of Pitt.
“It is time for me to retire and allow the torch to be passed to someone who shares the values of the district and can continue the work I have labored so hard for the past 18 years.”
Butterfield says his decision to retire was “difficult.” The NC General Assembly approved new redistricting maps recently, shifting the 1st District into one that could favor a Republican in the next election.
In the video published to his YouTube channel where he announced his retirement, Butterfield, a democrat, called the new congressional map racially gerrymandered, but he says he’s hopeful the courts will overturn the map.
For Public Radio East, I’m Meredith Radford
