WASHINGTON — Rep. G.K. Butterfield announced Friday morning his plans to retire just before midnight Friday.
“It has been my high honor and privilege to represent the people of North Carolina for more than 18 years,” Butterfield said in a letter read on the House floor Friday morning.
The Democrat’s announcement came without further details on the House floor, but he first told WRAL his resignation was necessary so he could begin a new job Saturday that involves lobbying and policy work.
Reached by phone Friday morning, Butterfield, 75, told The News & Observer he is going to a Washington law firm that desires all new associates to be on the payroll before the New Year for the purposes of getting benefits in place.
Politico previously reported that Butterfield planned to lobby for McGuireWoods, but Butterfield would not confirm his destination. Butterfield said the law firm he will join plans to make that announcement Monday and he doesn’t want to get ahead of it.
“I will be a senior advisor there,” Butterfield said. “There will be dozens of associates in the firm and many of them are engaged in lobbying and so I will give them advice and counsel on effective lobbying both at the federal and state level.”
Butterfield told The N&O that there is a required one-year cooling-off period between leaving Congress and being allowed to lobby a legislative body, though he can lobby the executive branch.
Butterfield said he plans to maintain homes in both Wilson, North Carolina, and Alexandria, Virginia.
Butterfield began his career in Congress in 2004 but has a storied career as a civil rights advocate and judge that stemmed from watching his father’s colleagues on a city council campaign against his reelection because he was Black.
Butterfield chose to retire in 2021 after watching the North Carolina General Assembly redraw his district to a majority-white area that gave Republicans a slight chance of winning. It would later be redrawn, under a court order, after lawmakers were accused of gerrymandering the map.
But Butterfield’s mind was made up on retirement. His chief of staff, Kyle Parker, told The News & Observer in November that Butterfield planned to return to the private sector but offered no further details. Politico reported
Butterfield’s announcement doesn’t change much, coming with only four days left in the 117th Congress.
Butterfield endorsed state Sen. Don Davis to replace him in representing the 1st Congressional District. Davis won the election on Nov. 8 and is to be sworn in at noon Tuesday.
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