Donnie Loftis
Donnie Loftis (born September 7, 1956) is an American politician who has served in the North Carolina House of Representatives since November 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he represents the 109th district, which contains part of Gaston County. Loftis previously served as chair of the Gaston County board of commissioners and as chair of the board of directors of CaroMont Health. He resigned the latter position on May 4, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina, after spreading COVID-19 misinformation and posting on his personal Facebook page that Gov. Roy Cooper's  stay-at-home order amounted to "tyranny". Loftis was also present at the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. He wrote on social media on January 6 that he "got gassed three times and was at the entrance when they breached the door". When asked by a reporter in October 2021 about his involvement, he claimed that he "had absolutely zero involvement in the rioting and categorically condemn the storming of our Capitol building that day". North Carolina House of Representatives (2021–present). Loftis previously ran for the 109th district seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives in  2012. In the four-candidate Republican primary won by Dana Bumgardner, he placed fourth with 19.1% of the vote. Appointment. After Rep. Bumgardner died in office on October 2, 2021, from liver cancer, the county Republican Party convened to recommend a candidate to replace him. The governor, Roy Cooper, was then required to appoint this candidate to the North Carolina House of Representatives within seven days. Loftis defeated county commissioner Ronnie Worley and Bumgardner's daughter Lauren Bumgardner Current to win the party endorsement on October 21. Loftis was sworn in on November 1, 2021. His seating led to a  walk-out by House Democrats to protest his involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot. Bobbie Richardson, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, said in a statement that "today marks a new low for General Assembly Republicans, because instead of condemning those actions and rejecting the rhetoric that incites violence, they are welcoming a Capitol insurrection participant with open arms".