NC Dem U.S. Congressman Reportedly Not Planning to Seek Tenth Term As Prospects Dim

U.S. House Rep G.K. Butterfield is reportedly expected to announce tomorrow that he doesn’t plan to seek a tenth term in Congress.

Butterfield’s office told Spectrum 1 News that “the official announcement will be made later today or tomorrow,” but would not confirm or deny the reports of the congressman’s retirement.

The National Republican Congressional Committee added Butterfield to its list of vulnerable Democrats the group is targeting ahead of next year’s midterm races earlier this month.

Butterfield was facing an uphill battle between redistricting making his district more competitive and a likely stiff re-match with Republican Sandy Smith.

In a tweet, Smith declared, “I won my primary by 77% of the vote last cycle. Pretty decisive. The general election I overperformed many before me. Just sayin’.”

I won my primary by 77% of the vote last cycle. Pretty decisive. The general election I overperformed many before me. Just sayin’.

— Sandy Smith NC (@SandySmithNC) November 18, 2021

Smith has been endorsed by a number of conservative leaders and today, she was endorsed by Arizona GOP State Rep Mark Finchem.

In his endorsement announcement, Finchem said, “I am excited to endorse Sandy Smith for Congress because she is a winner & a fighter. She won her primary last cycle with 77% and overperformed everyone in the general election.”

“She has been fighting for audits in North Carolina and is a true America First Conservative. She has my backing 100%. I encourage all patriots to get behind Sandy Smith ASAP, Let’s take this seat that belongs to the People!” Finchem added.

BREAKING: Arizona Rep. @RealMarkFinchem Endorses Sandy Smith for Congress

Thank you Rep. Finchem for your leadership on #ElectionIntegrity & ballot security. Your endorsement means a lot to me!

“I am excited to endorse Sandy Smith for Congress because she is a winner & a (1/3) pic.twitter.com/56vFF1CF3Q

— Sandy Smith NC (@SandySmithNC) November 18, 2021

Last year, we reported on Butterfield:

North Carolina House Rep G.K. Butterfield wrote a column for a local newspaper on Saturday where he said that “now is the time to move beyond America’s racist legacy toward a new era of accountability and moral integrity.”

He titled the column “Make America ‘great’ for all Americans,” implying that President Trump has been unable to do that and that it has not been great for all at any time in the past.

In the column, Rep Butterfield said that “now is the time to courageously remove the symbols of racism that celebrate the Confederate states’ choice to wage a war that killed hundreds of thousands of Americans rather than give up their “states’ rights” to own other human beings as chattel.”

He also claimed that “the reality that the Civil War was not a “War Between the States,” it was a “War Against the United States of America.”  Those who led and fought in that war sought the same result as America’s fascist, genocidal enemies in World War II — the conquest and destruction of the United States of America and everything it stands for.”