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New NC lawmaker resigned from CaroMont board over COVID-19 Facebook posts

Donnie Loftis, a U.S. Army veteran and former Gaston County commissioner, will serve Gaston County in the North Carolina House.

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — The Gaston County Republican Party announced it has selected Donnie Loftis, a former county commissioner, to fill the vacancy in the North Carolina House following the death of Dana Bumgardner

Loftis is a 30-year combat veteran, having served in the U.S. Army and the National Guard. During his military career, Loftis served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He earned the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit after surviving an IED attack. 

"Donnie Loftis has been a tried and true servant of the people of Gaston County and I have no doubt that he will continue to represent our people well in Raleigh," Jonathan Fletcher, chairman of the Gaston County GOP, said in a statement. "The experience he brings to this position and his heart of service for the people of this district are exactly what we need in this difficult time."

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Loftis will represent Gaston County in the 109th District for the remainder of Bumgardner's term. 

Loftis resigned from his position on the CaroMont Health board of directors in May 2020 following some of his COVID-19 Facebook posts, according to a report from WRAL. Loftis told WRAL that Gov. Roy Cooper overstepped his authority in shutting down large portions of the state's economy to reduce the spread of the virus. 

"I posted that I felt like tyranny was being deployed," Loftis said. "I wasn't on board with shutting down the entire world."

Loftis said he resigned from the board to avoid bringing controversy to CaroMont. 

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