A Democratic candidate for North Carolina’s House District 62 has vowed to continue her campaign despite her party withdrawing all support following extreme social media posts she made. Shelly Headen, who is running against incumbent Republican John Blust, stated that she will not quit the race even after the Guilford County Democratic Party formally ended its backing.
Headen previously wrote on multiple platforms that Trump supporters “should be jailed in concentration camps” and that terrorists should attack “stupid” people in two Southern states. She also claimed that the damage Trump has done is “getting close to surpassing Hitler,” and suggested his movement may be more destructive than Nazi Germany.
The party condemned Headen’s posts as violating their core values, stating they “stand firmly for decency, mutual respect, and the core values of our community” and “uniquely reject and condemn the social media posts made by Shelly Headen.” The Guilford County Democratic Party noted that language referencing concentration camps, derogatory terms toward neurodivergent individuals, or political violence is “completely indefensible and unacceptable.”
Headen has also faced two domestic violence incidents. Police reports dated May 30 and November 19, 2024, list Headen as the sole suspect in cases where her husband, Gregory, was the victim. The May incident report documented no injuries to the victim, while the November incident report noted an “apparent minor injury.”
In response to the party’s decision, Headen stated she could not remember specific posts but emphasized her commitment: “I’ve sacrificed myself just like Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross… If a few angry moments on social media are the end, then so be it.”
Headen spent $30,000 on a consultant to review her social media activity and has no intention of dropping out of the race.
