There is no greater imperative than electing a Congress that will resist Trump and thwart his party at every opportunity. In the three races that touch the Triangle, the INDY is enthusiastically endorsing two Democratic incumbents and, less enthusiastically, one Democratic challenger.
District 1: GK Butterfield
The former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, GK Butterfield knows what’s really at stake in this election. Butterfield, a former N.C. Supreme Court justice who has represented District 1 since 2004, recognizes that Donald Trump “is not capable of leading this country. … That is why we must elect Democrats to serve as a check on the Trump administration, and investigate and follow the facts where they may lead.” In Congress, Butterfield has been an ardent critic of Trump’s family-separation policies and fought for universal health care, a higher minimum wage, and better schools.
His Republican opponent, businessman Roger Allison, accuses Butterfield of taking “advantage of North Carolina’s African American population, making various promises along the campaign trail, but failing to follow through once he’s in Washington.” He wants to lower taxes, overturn Roe v. Wade, and “eliminate gun-free zones.” We’ll pass.
District 2: Linda Coleman
It’s not entirely clear what Linda Coleman’s strategy is. The former state representative, who lost two consecutive bids for lieutenant governor in 2012 and 2016, seems to be doing her best to stay out of the limelight. She did not return our questionnaire, and her campaign turned down an INDY freelancer’s interview request. Her low-key approach may be working, however: A recent poll by the Civitas Institute had her tied with incumbent Republican George Holding.
Holding deserves to lose. He votes with Trump more than 92 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight, on everything from rolling back banking regulations to cutting taxes for rich people. He hasn’t distinguished himself as anything more than another Republican yes man. We’re with Coleman.
District 4: David Price
Except for a two-year blip in the nineties, David Price—a Yale-educated political scientist—has been a solid progressive voice in Congress for more than three decades. Price will turn eighty in 2020, and soon it will be time for fresh blood in this seat. But that fresh blood should not be Steve Von Loor—a Hispanic American who echoes Trump’s economic and trade policies and wants to restrict abortion rights—or Libertarian Barbara Howe, neither of whom makes a compelling case for replacing Price.
