Another Democrat Vying To Unseat George Holding in NC-2

Jason Butler

We took notice back on June 13 of retired Marine Scott Cooper as the first Democrat to announce a campaign to unseat incumbent Republican George Holding in the 2nd Congressional District of North Carolina.

There's a new and interesting Democratic candidate in that race as of today -- Methodist pastor Jason Butler of "the LBGTQ-friendly" Open Table United Methodist Church in Raleigh, which he founded not long after arriving in the city in 2016 from Milwaukee. The United Methodist Church is not gay-friendly, so Butler is something of a rebel and a cage-rattler. He sent this email to members of Open Table:

"As I look at the world, I see so much suffering and I get this deep sense that our society is losing its moral compass—kids are in cages, Latinx families are being torn apart, multitudes are living without access to health care, the LGBTQ community is under constant threat, income inequality is out of control, and our environment is dying. These are not just political issues—they are issues of morality and justice—of life and death."

The Open Table website is worth a look, particularly for a sense of the diverse community that Butler has managed to build in three years. Audio of Butler's sermons is also available there, and his sermon about the weaponizing of Sodom and Gomorrah made my visit worth the effort.

The primary comes early next year on March 3rd. This is one I'll be watching (and who knows what other Democrats may register and run -- we're good with the variety!).