George Holding

George Holding
Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 2nd district
Taking office January 3, 2017
Succeeding	Renee Ellmers
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Brad Miller
Succeeded by	Ted Budd (elect)
U.S. Attorney for Eastern North Carolina
In office 2006–2011
Nominated by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Frank Whitney
Succeeded by	Thomas Walker
Personal details
Born	(1968-04-17) April 17, 1968 Raleigh, North Carolina
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Lucy E. Herriott
Children	Four – three daughters, one son
Alma mater	Wake Forest University (B.A., J.D.)
Occupation	Attorney
Religion	Southern Baptist[1]
Website	Representative George Holding

George Edward Bell Holding (born April 17, 1968) is an American politician who has been the United States Representative for North Carolina's 13th congressional district since 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party. His district stretches from just southwest of Raleigh to just east of Rocky Mount. He served as the United States Attorney for North Carolina’s Eastern District from 2006 to 2011.

Early life, education, and early law career

The youngest of five children, Holding grew up in Raleigh. He attended Wake Forest University, studying Classics. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, he studied law at Wake Forest University School of Law. During law school, he met his future wife, Lucy Herriott. They married after graduating and returned to Raleigh where Holding practiced law with Kilpatrick Stockton, one of the oldest law firms in North Carolina.^[2]

In 1998, Holding left the practice of law to serve as legislative counsel to U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms in Washington. He was employed by Maupin Taylor, a Raleigh law firm, from 2001–2002. Holding joined the U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of North Carolina in 2002, working under Frank Whitney. Under Whitney, the U.S. Attorney's office prosecuted a number of high-profile public corruption cases, including former N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps, former House Speaker Jim Black and former U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance. In June 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Whitney to a federal judgeship.

U.S. Attorney's office

In September 2006, Holding was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Whitney's replacement. His priorities included more security in capturing child pornography and drug prosecutions. In addition, Holding prosecuted a state judge, a state Senator, a state Representative, and several sheriffs for political corruption. After Barack Obama won the presidency, Holding was asked to remain in office to complete ongoing public corruption investigations.^[3]

When Holding left office the average sentence in drug trafficking cases in eastern North Carolina was almost twice the national average. He indicted eight defendants for conspiring to promote terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad^[3] and convicted a number of child pornographers, several of whom were sentenced to more than 100 years in prison.

He worked closely with state prosecutors investigating former Governor Mike Easley, who was convicted for violating state campaign finance law.^[4]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2012

After his resignation in 2011, Holding announced his candidacy for Congress in North Carolina's 13th congressional district.^[5] He was endorsed by multiple conservative business and civic leaders, including N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake and former U.S. Senator Lauch Faircloth.

Holding won the Republican primary in May. He defeated former Raleigh Mayor Paul Coble. In the general election, he won the seat with 57% of the vote.^[6]

2014

Holding was unopposed in the Republican primary for re-election. Ultimately, he won the general election against his Democratic challenger, Brenda Cleary, a registered nurse and former executive director of the North Carolina Center for Nursing, 57%-43%.^[7]

2016

On February 19, 2016, it was announced that as part of a court-ordered redistricting, "a large chunk" of the 13th would be drawn into North Carolina's 2nd congressional district. Though Holding's home was located in the 4th district under the new map, congressional candidates are only required to live in the state they wish to represent. Thus, Holding decided to run in the 2nd district against the incumbent, fellow Republican Renee Ellmers.^[8] Ellmers made much of the fact that Holding didn't live in the district. However, his home is just six miles from the 2nd's border, and the new district is actually geographically and demographically more his district than Ellmers'.^[9] In the primary on June 7, Holding defeated Ellmers 53%-24%.^[10]

Tenure

Holding took office in the 113th Congress on January 3, 2013.

Committee assignments

• United States House Committee on Ways & Means
  • United States House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Oversight
  • United States House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy

Personal life

George and Lucy Holding have four children – three daughters and one son – and are members of Christ Baptist Church in Raleigh.

References

External links

• Congressman George Holding official U.S. House site
• George Holding for Congress
• George Holding at DMOZ
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress