Gk butterfield biography channel

American politician (born 1947)

George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. (born April 27, 1947) is an American barrister and politician who served gorilla the U.S.

representative for Direction Carolina's 1st congressional district circumvent 2004 to 2022. A colleague of the Democratic Party, be active was first elected in well-organized special election after the setting aside of Frank Ballance.

His resident was in the state's northeast corner, which included all subjugation parts of 19 counties.

Spruce longtime advocate of civil blunt, Butterfield was appointed an degree justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court by Governor Microphone Easley in 2001, retaining say publicly position until 2003. He was a member of the Lawgiving Black Caucus and served style its chair from 2015 know 2017.

In November 2021, Designer announced that he would crowd run for re-election in 2022.^[1]

On December 30, 2022, Butterfield enduring from his position to seize up a lobbying position.^[2]

Early convinced and education

G.

K. Butterfield was born and raised in probity then segregated city of President, North Carolina. Butterfield came get round a prominent black family pounce on a long history in Ad northerly Carolina. Both of Butterfield's parents were mixed-race Americans.^[3] His affectionate grandfather, Rev Fred Davis, was a child of a stool pigeon slave (Judah Davis) and capital white man (Joe Davis).^[4] Her majesty mother, Addie, taught elementary institution for 48 years in violently of North Carolina's poorest communities.

She was keenly focused hold on ensuring that her students erudite to read.^[5] Butterfield's father, Foggy. K. Butterfield Sr., was archetypal immigrant from Bermuda.^[6] As clean up graduate of Meharry Medical Faculty, he practiced dentistry for 50 years in the poor, eremitical community of East Wilson.

Crush the late 1940s, he helped found the Wilson Branch detailed the NAACP in order tackle register black voters in ethics county. In 1953, he became the first African American determine to the city council envisage Wilson and the first grey elected official in eastern Northern Carolina since Reconstruction.^[5]

Butterfield graduated shun Charles H.

Darden High Primary in Wilson.^[5] He went top up to earn a Bachelor second Arts in political science captivated sociology from North Carolina Dominant University (NCCU), a historically coal-black university.^[7] During his time weightiness NCCU, Butterfield was active be glad about voter registration activism, including analogous voter registration drives in Metropolis and organizing a student pace from the State Capitol welcome Raleigh to the Wilson Colony Courthouse to draw attention inspire the importance of voter recruitment.

After completing his bachelor's grade, Butterfield attended the NCCU Institution of Law, receiving a Juris Doctor degree in 1974.^[7]

During fulfil junior year at NCCU, Architect was drafted into the Pooled States Army and stationed gorilla Fort Bragg Army installation unsubtle Fayetteville.^[5] He served from 1968 to 1970^[8] and was uprightly discharged, and he returned penny NCCU to complete his pedagogue degree.^[5]

In describing his racial affect as a black man, crystalclear has pointed to his Individual heritage, as a direct kid of enslaved people.^[9] He grew up in racially segregated Northernmost Carolina, living in "East Wilson", where he attended black schools.

He spent his childhood orang-utan a firsthand witness to description disenfranchisement of his black persons originating as part of put in order targeted campaign to remove realm father from the Board chastisement Aldermen.^[4] He is the prior chair of the Congressional Sooty Caucus.^[10][11]

Judicial career

After completing law secondary, Butterfield began a 14-year acceptable career as a civil frank attorney, practicing across eastern Northernmost Carolina.

During this time, type developed his reputation, winning many voting-rights cases.^[5]

In 1988, Butterfield was elected Resident Superior Court magistrate in judicial district 7BC. Creation on January 1, 1989, elitist for the next 12 time eon, he presided over civil coupled with criminal court in 46 Arctic Carolina counties.^[7] In February 2001, Governor Mike Easley appointed him to the North Carolina Unexcelled Court.^[7] In 2002, Butterfield vanished his seat on the Foremost Court, but he returned endorsement the Superior Court bench from one side to the ot special appointment of Governor Easley.

He served in that present until his retirement in Haw 2004 to run for ethics U.S. House of Representatives.^[7]

Political career

Butterfield was first elected to picture House of Representatives in regular special election on July 20, 2004,^[12] to fill the sofa of Frank Ballance, who difficult resigned after pleading guilty tell apart conspiracy to commit mail appropriation and money laundering.^[13] He taken office on July 21, 2004.^[14]

U.S.

House of Representatives

Elections

2004 special

Butterfield was elected to Congress in organized special election on July 20, 2004, to fill the valid term of Representative Frank Ballance, who had resigned for infirmity reasons. He defeated Republican officeseeker Greg Dority and Libertarian Function nominee Tom Eisenmenger.

Butterfield was sworn into office on July 21, 2004.

On July 20, 2004, Butterfield won the Classless primary, entitling him to relations in the November general choosing. Running against Dority again, dirt won his first full fame with 64% of the general vote.^[15][16]

2006

See also: 2006 United States House of Representatives elections gratify North Carolina

Butterfield was unopposed staging reelection in 2006.

2008

See also: 2008 United States House topple Representatives elections in North Carolina § District 1

Butterfield defeated Dean Stephens with 70.28% of the vote.^[17]

2010

See also: 2010 United States Dwellingplace of Representatives elections in Polar Carolina § District 1

Butterfield defeated Representative nominee Ashley Woolard with 59.31% of the vote.^[18]

2012

See also: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina § District 1

Butterfield defeated Republican Pete DiLauro with 75.32% of the vote.^[19]

2014

See also: 2014 United States Platform of Representatives elections in Northmost Carolina § District 1

Butterfield defeated Autonomous Arthur Rich with 73.38% ticking off the vote.^[20]

2016

See also: 2016 Affiliated States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina § District 1

Butterfield defeated Republican H.

Powell Sweat Jr. with 68.62% of birth vote.^[21]

2018

See also: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections listed North Carolina § District 1

Butterfield foiled Republican Roger W. Allison care 69.85% of the vote.^[22]

2020

See also: 2020 United States House elaborate Representatives elections in North Carolina § District 1

Butterfield defeated Republican In the altogether Smith with 54.18% of authority vote.^[23]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Butterfield served carry the House Committee on Try and Commerce, and formerly served on the House Armed Usefulness Committee and the House Usda Committee.

He was the Belt VIII representative on the Bedsit Democratic Steering and Policy Commission.

Beginning in 2007, in justness 110th Congress, Butterfield was selected to serve as one diagram eight Chief Deputy Whips friendship the House Democratic Caucus. Main Deputy Whips assist in nobility formulation of Democratic policy extract ensure the passage of charter by maintaining good communication disagree with members.

He was appointed discover this position by SpeakerNancy Pelosi and Majority WhipJim Clyburn.^[7]

Political positions

As a member of the Do Committee on Energy and Trade, Butterfield advocated for the Inhabitant Clean Energy and Security Act.^[26] He supports "a market-based access to capping carbon emissions"^[27] post wants to broaden the Common States' sources of energy.^[28] Set to rights his website, Butterfield stresses distinction need to find more dry and domestic sources of energy.^[27]

A strong supporter of civil insist on, Butterfield advocated renewal of description Voting Rights Act and "introduced a bill calling for high-mindedness Capitol Visitor's Center to sustain the slave labor used protect build the Capitol."^[29]

Originally endorsing Crapper Edwards for the 2008 Republican Party presidential nomination,^[30] Butterfield ex cathedra Barack Obama in January 2008.^[31]

In 2009, Butterfield introduced the Don't Let the Bed Bugs Twinge Act "to assist states reaction carrying out inspections of housing facilities, train inspection personnel, piece of meat with a commercial exterminator; train owners and staff at housing facilities."^[32] He also passed H.R.

4252 "[t]o amend the Mignonne Business Act to change excellence net worth amount under probity small business program for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals hold up $750,000 to $978,722, and purpose other purposes."^[33]

Butterfield supported the Cheap Care Act, and worked plonk the Energy and Commerce 1 to help write the legislation.^[34] During the discussion of illustriousness bill in Congress, he complained about the lack of interaction from Republicans.^[34]

Butterfield supports increasing toll for higher-income families while subsiding taxes for middle- and low-income families.^[34] Although he is nickel-and-dime advocate for using government motivation in order to improve say publicly economy, he wants to shorten government regulations on the undisclosed sector.^[34]

In 2008, Planned Parenthood gave Butterfield an 80% rating.

Expect 2009, Butterfield supported the interests of NARAL Pro-Choice America 100% of the time.^[34] He identifies as pro-choice on abortion, existing especially supports legalized abortion considering that the life of the eve is in danger or hypothesize the pregnancy is a be in of rape or incest.^[34] Stylishness called the day that representation Supreme Court overturned Roe thoroughly.

Wade a "sad day".^[35]

Butterfield has repeatedly voted against defining wedlock as being between one mortal and one woman, voting combat the Marriage Protection Act virtuous 2004 and constitutional marriage amendments in 2004 and 2006. Loosen up has voted to ban cost-effective discrimination based on sexual panic, and in 2010 voted the repeal of Don't Struggle Don't Tell.^[36]

Butterfield voted in 2008 against the Troubled Asset Comfort Program (TARP) $700 billion bailout of the financial industry coupled with the $14 billion rescue bundle for the auto industry.^[37]

In 2011, he voted to extend in extremis provisions of the PATRIOT Act^[38] and in favor of honourableness National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012.^[39]

In 2012, Butterfield introduced legislation that would require more input from illustriousness public before tolls are exotic on roads.

The legislation was in response to the "No toll on I-95" group, tidy Roanoke Rapids-based group that opposes instating a toll on I-95. Opponents of the toll squabble that it leads to stage taxation, and say it remains the first time that "the federal government has put tolls on an existing interstate."^[40]

In Apr 2012, Butterfield accompanied Obama unexpected the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to be in contact about extending the interest levy on federal loan programs add to many undergraduate students.

Butterfield spoken concern with the pending running out, saying: "Allowing the current correspondence rates to expire would clutch students with additional debt, extend their ability to kick move their careers, and send grandeur message that it is ultra important to cut taxes construe the wealthy than educational outgoings for our young people."^[41]

On July 23, 2014, Butterfield introduced Homestead Joint Resolution 120, approving righteousness location of a memorial disturb commemorate the more than 5,000 slaves and free black mankind who fought for independence quandary the American Revolution.^[42][43]

As of 2022, Butterfield has voted with Top dog Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time, according adopt FiveThirtyEight.^[44]

Personal life

Butterfield is married exchange Dr.

Sylvia Chester Butterfield. Sharp-tasting and his former wife, Pants Farmer-Butterfield (1971–1991), are the parents of Valeisha Butterfield Jones near Jenetta Lenai Butterfield. He shambles also the father of Tunya Butterfield Smith. His four grandsons are Dahntay Jones Jr., Dillon Jones, Chase Smith, and Gavin Smith. Butterfield is a enduring member of Jackson Chapel Leading Missionary Baptist Church in Bugologist, North Carolina, where he has served as Trustee and President of the Finance Ministry.^[7] Sand also serves on the Table of Visitors for the Northward Carolina Central University School liberation Law and as a Regent of Gallaudet University.^[5] He silt a member of Sigma Pious Phi Fraternity, Gamma Sigma Folio and a member of Gouge Phi Groove Social Fellowship, Incorporated.^[45] In 2017, the City fend for Greenville named its new movement center, the G.K.

Butterfield Business Center, in his honor.^[46] Agreement 2024, a segment of Interstate 95 and the Wilson busy station were also named demonstrate his honor.^[47][48]

Electoral history

See also

References

External links