Republican George Holding will retire rather than run in deep-blue seat
Rep. George Holding (R-N.C.) announced Friday morning he won't seek reelection next year — a decision made inevitable by North Carolina's new congressional map, which turned his Wake County seat into safe Democratic territory.
“It has also been gratifying to work for the ideals and values that I, like many other Americans, believe in," Holding said in a statement. "And so it is with regret that I announce I will not be a candidate for Congress this election."
Holding, a former federal prosecutor first elected to Congress in 2012, had been hinting for weeks that he would retire rather than run for the new seat. A newly redrawn map crafted by the state legislature sacrificed his district and a Greensboro-area one held by GOP Rep. Mark Walker in an attempt to bring partisan parity to a map that gave Republicans 10 of the state's 13 congressional seats.
“I should add, candidly, that, yes, the newly redrawn congressional districts were part of the reason I have decided not to seek reelection," he said. "But, in addition, this is also a good time for me to step back and reflect on all that I have learned."
A state superior court indicated in an October pretrial motion that it would likely side with Democratic-linked plaintiffs who alleged the map was improperly gerrymandered. The state legislature then crafted a new map, which will likely give North Carolina Republicans an 8-5 advantage. The court accepted and finalized the legislature's plan in a Monday hearing.
Holding had already survived one other mid-decade redistricting in 2016, when he was forced into a member-vs-member primary with then-Rep. Renee Ellmers — whom he defeated despite Ellmers' endorsement by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
In his statement, Holding suggested he was open to future political runs, particularly in 2022, when the state is slated to gain another congressional seat and Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) will retire: “I am also hopeful that, if it is part of the Good Lord’s plan, I will someday return to public office."
Several Democrats have filed to run next year for the new Democratic seat that replaces Holding's, including former state Rep. Deborah Ross, who lost to Burr in the state's 2016 Senate race. The filing period will remain open until Dec. 20.
Under the old lines, Holding's district was reliably Republican; President Donald Trump carried it by 12 points. The redrawn map places Holding's district entirely within the Democratic-leaning Wake County. Hillary Clinton would have won it by 24 points, according to a POLITICO analysis.
The redistricting has roiled the state's delegation. Walker has been less open to leaving public life. He is considering primarying fellow GOP Reps. Ted Budd and Patrick McHenry, as well as Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
