WILSON, N.C. – U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield prefers that North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue appoint a black district
attorney in Edgecombe, Nash and Wilson counties.

Butterfield wrote Monday asking Perdue to interview and consider qualified black lawyers to succeed retiring DA Howard Boney to increase diversity in the court system.

Butterfield said there’s only one black district attorney in the state and that black Democrats in the counties comprise 60 percent of the registered voters. The congressman also criticized what he called a lack of racial diversity in Boney’s office.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People made similar calls last week.

Perdue’s office said last week she’s committed to “appointing highly qualified people to serve who reflect all of North Carolina.”