Democratic Rep. GK Butterfield of North Carolina has resigned early from Congress, his office announced.
Butterfield’s resignation comes just ahead of Tuesday, when his term would come to an end.
The representative previously announced his intention to retire from public office and did not seek re-election in the midterms.
‘It is time for me to retire, and allow the torch to be passed to someone who shares the values of the district, and continue the work I have labored so hard for the past 18 years,’ Butterfield said in November 2021.
At the time of the announcement, Butterfield harshly criticized recent redistricting in his area that transformed the previously solidly Democratic territory into a more competitive race.
‘The map that was recently enacted by the legislature is a partisan map. It’s racially gerrymandered. It will disadvantage African American communities all across the 1st congressional district,’ Butterfield said at the time.
He continued, ‘I am disappointed, terribly disappointed with the Republican majority legislature for again gerrymandering our state’s congressional districts and putting their party politics over the best interests of North Carolinians.’
Butterfield is set to begin lobbying and working as a policy consultant at a Washington law firm following his retirement.
‘I’m beginning a new job tomorrow,’ he told WRAL.