Democratic candidate Shelly Headen stays on NC ballot despite party disavowal

Shelly Headen, a Democratic contender for North Carolina House District 62, will appear on the general-election ballot despite the party’s repudiation of her after inflammatory online comments resurfaced. The state Democratic caucus and the Guilford County Democratic Party denounced her calls for an attack on "stupid people" in red-state regions and her comparison of Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler, withdrawing all financial and organizational backing.

The filing deadline of Aug. 20 precludes her removal from the ballot, which was dispatched to voters starting Sept. 4. Headen, a certified public accountant and small-business owner, told a public-radio interview that she does not recall making the posts but apologized to those hurt, while later describing the remarks as "a few angry moments" in an interview with The Assembly. She has also reported receiving death threats and cited a recent domestic-assault incident involving her husband, which she says Republicans are exploiting politically.