Democrats Drop Support for Candidate Who Called for Violence Against Republicans

A Democrat running in a competitive state legislative race has a history of inflammatory social posts, including some calling for violence against supporters of President Donald Trump. 

Within hours of an Assembly inquiry to state party leaders, a spokesman for the House Democratic caucus said the group will no longer support Shelly Headen, an accountant from Oak Ridge looking to unseat Republican state Rep. John Blust of Guilford County.

Headen said in an interview that she recalls writing several anti-Trump posts, but not the specific language she used. “I can’t remember what I’ve posted,” she said. “I’ve been very vocal against MAGA.”

She said she paid $30,000 for a consulting firm to comb through her social media accounts for possible concerns.

Headen said she’ll continue to run in spite of resistance from the party.

“I’ve sacrificed myself just like Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross, and Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln and all the people that put themselves out there to sacrifice for our country,” she said. “If a few angry moments on social media are the end, then so be it. MAGA will keep winning if we continue with not standing up for what’s right.”

After Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 2024, Headen wrote on X, “I’m so excited! Ready for the MAGAs to die off!!” 

Headen denied having an X account, despite the House Democratic Caucus linking to it earlier this year.

On LinkedIn, she said, “the damage [Trump] has done is getting close to surpassing Hilter [sic]. In addition, I think his MAGA cult may be more destructive and evil than the Nazis.”

On an anti-Trump Facebook group, she responded to an open-ended Facebook post that asked, “Why is it that some of us can see what is going on in the world and others can’t?”  She replied, “Maybe they need to experience sexual assault so they can experience what Trump’s victims feel.”

Headen also responded to a post in the same group that praised the man who pleaded guilty to the 2024 killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Headen suggested violence is more useful than peaceful protests. “I think America is beyond peaceful protest!” she commented.

On Thursday, the House Republican caucus publicly shared a post in which Headen called for other countries to attack states with large concentrations of conservatives. “I think our only hope is an attack on US soil… preferably Alabama, Louisiana… where the stupid people live,” she wrote on Facebook.

Headen told The Assembly she didn’t remember writing it or whether it was real. The comment was still public on Facebook on Thursday afternoon.

Sam Lozier, the communications director for the House Democratic Caucus, condemned all of Headen’s social media posts.

“Shelly Headen’s posts are unacceptable and do not reflect the values we expect of our candidates,” Lozier said in a statement. “The North Carolina House Democratic Caucus condemns these comments without qualification and will not support Shelly Headen’s candidacy.”

Anderson Clayton, chair of the state Democratic Party, didn’t respond to a request for comment. 

The outcome of the House contest between Headen and Blust could determine whether Democrats take control of the chamber, or at the very least prevent Republicans from regaining a supermajority. Midterm elections historically don’t bode well for the political party in power in Washington, which could hurt candidates down the ballot. While the GOP is expected to lose seats, Democrats would need a dominant showing to take control of the House.

Blust won reelection by fewer than 7 percentage points in 2024. Republicans aren’t taking the seat for granted. The House Republican caucus has highlighted Headen’s rhetoric in recent days.

On X, House Speaker Destin Hall called Headen’s social media post advocating for a foreign country to attack conservative states “absolutely disgusting.”

Republicans have also issued press releases raising concerns about two Guilford County police reports from 2024 in which her husband was listed as a potential victim of assault and she was named as the suspect. Last week, she posted a statement on Facebook saying that the reports were misleading and presented herself as the victim.

“As a CPA, I believe in transparency and accountability,” she wrote.

She deleted the post on Facebook, but not from her campaign website. 

“Unfortunately, Shelly Headen’s statement about the incidents where law enforcement were summoned to her home raises more questions than answers,” former Guilford County Sheriff B.J. Barnes said in a statement.

Candidates had until August 20 to remove their name from the ballot, and mail-in ballots began going out to North Carolina voters last Friday. That means it’s too late for Democrats to replace Headen on the ballot, though they could choose someone new if she won in November and declined to be seated.