Donnie Loftis Selected to Fill 109th District Vacancy
The members of the Gaston County Republican Party Executive Committee residing in the 109th NC House District met on Wednesday, October 20th to fill the vacancy resulting from the passing of Representative Dana Byron Bumgardner. After considering the nomination of three individuals and through two rounds of voting, the committee members selected Donnie Loftis of Gastonia to fill the unexpired term of Rep. Bumgardner.
Jonathan Fletcher, Chairman of the Gaston County Republican Party, issued the following statement concerning the appointment:
“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. At this critical time in the legislature’s work, it is important that we have a principled Conservative standing up for us and we know that he is ready to get to work immediately. 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. We continue to keep the Bumgardner family in our thoughts and prayers as we mourn Rep. Bumgardner’s passing. Although no one could ever truly replace Rep. Bumgardner, I am confident that Donnie Loftis will be a great representative in his own right and I look forward to his service to our district, county, and state for years to come.”
Donnie Loftis was previously elected to serve as a Gaston County Commissioner in 2000 and 2008. In 2011, he was recognized as North Carolina’s “Outstanding Commissioner of the Year” for his work on the County Commission. He is a 30 year combat veteran, having served in the US Army and the Army National Guard, retiring as an E-8/Master Sergeant. During his time in the military, he served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, survived an IED attack, and earned both the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Caromont Health, where he has previously served as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board.
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