WASHINGTON — Republican Representative Donnie Loftis, who attended the January 6th insurrection and was tear gassed multiple times by Capitol Police officers while at the entrance of the U.S. Capitol as others breached the main door, was sworn in today as the newest member of the North Carolina House. He was handpicked by a county Republican Party to fill the open seat and both the North Carolina Republican Party and Republican House Speaker Tim Moore have refused to condemn the appointment. Loftis is the 18th insurrectionist currently serving as a Republican state lawmaker.
In honor of his swearing in, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee added Loftis to its GOP Hall of Shame: Sedition Edition.
“Instead of eradicating insurrectionists from their party, Republicans have gone a step further and are now hand picking them for public office,” said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Jessica Post. “It’s abundantly clear that Republicans are only interested in clinging onto power no matter the costs to our democracy. Although Republican officials have failed to put country before party, we’re confident that voters will hold insurrectionists and their enablers accountable.”
Recently, two Republican sitting members of the North Carolina State House, Rep. Keith Kidwell and Rep. Mike Clampitt, were also revealed to be members of the Oath Keepers, one of the largest militant, anti-government organizations in the country. The Oath Keepers were also one of the most visible groups participating in the insurrection. North Carolina Rep. Kelly Hastings and Sen. Warren Daniel also pushed the “Stop the Steal” narrative that led hardcore supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection, leading to the deaths of police officers and civilians.
The DLCC has worked tirelessly to identify the now 22 known Republican state legislators who participated in the January 6th insurrection and another nearly 600 who promoted “Stop the Steal” rhetoric or signed letters or briefs calling to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, representing over 15% of all GOP state legislators. It’s abundantly clear that radical positions and political violence are no longer the fringe of the Republican Party — they are the mainstream.
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