Representative Deb Butler Contact information

Deborah Armfield “Deb” Butler is an American politician and attorney serving as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, where she has served since 2017. She represents the 18th House District, covering a portion of New Hanover County, as a member of the Democratic Party.

Born in Columbia, South Carolina, Butler earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1983 and a J.D. from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 1986. Her career experience includes working as an attorney. She has worked as an attorney in Wilmington, North Carolina, after graduating from Wake Forest Law School.

In 2012, Butler unsuccessfully challenged Republican Thom Goolsby for a seat in the North Carolina Senate, losing by an 8 point margin. Butler was appointed to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2017 to succeed Susi Hamilton, after Hamilton was appointed to head the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources by Governor Roy Cooper. She has been re-elected to the seat twice, most recently in 2020.

Butler identifies as lesbian. She is one of four openly LGBT officeholders currently serving in the North Carolina state legislature, alongside caucus colleagues Marcia Morey, Allison Dahle and Cecil Brockman. She married Anni Parra in 2015.

As of the 2020 Census, North Carolina state representatives represented an average of 87,116 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 79,715 residents. Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. North Carolina legislators assume office on January 1 the year after their election.

Butler (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the North Carolina House of Representatives to represent District 18. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024. The Democratic primary for this office on March 5, 2024, was canceled.