North Carolina Senate

Upper house of the North Carolina General Assembly

North Carolina Senate

North Carolina General Assembly

Seal of the North Carolina Senate

Type
Type|

Upper house

Term limits

| None
History

New session started

| January 1, 2023
Leadership

President

Mark Robinson (R)
since January 3, 2021

President pro tempore

Phil Berger (R)
since January 26, 2011

Majority Leader

Paul Newton (R)
since January 1, 2023

Minority Leader

Dan Blue (D)
since March 5, 2014

Structure
Seats| 50

Political groups

| Majority

* Republican (30)

Minority

* Democratic (20)

Length of term

| 2 years
Elections

Last election

| November 8, 2022
(50 seats)

Next election

| November 5, 2024
(50 seats)
Meeting place
Senate chamber
North Carolina Legislative Building
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Website
www.ncleg.gov/Senate
Constitution
North Carolina Constitution

The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate has 50 members, and the term of office for each senator is two years.[1]

The Senate's prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The president of the Senate is the lieutenant governor of North Carolina, but the lieutenant governor has very limited powers and only votes to break a tie. Before the office of lieutenant governor was created in 1868, the Senate was presided over by a "speaker." After the 1988 election of James Carson Gardner, the first Republican lieutenant governor since Reconstruction, Democrats in control of the Senate shifted most of the power held by the lieutenant governor to the senator who is elected president pro tempore (or pro-tem). The president pro tempore appoints members to standing committees of the Senate, and holds great sway over bills.

According to the state constitution, the Senate is also the "Court for the Trial of Impeachments". The House of Representatives has the power to impeach state officials, after which the Senate holds an impeachment trial, as in the federal system. If the governor or lieutenant governor is the official who has been impeached, the chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court presides.

## History

[edit]

During the Reconstruction era, African Americans served in the state senate (African-American officeholders during and following the Reconstruction era). By 1874 four African Americans, all Republicans were in the body as Democrats had already regained a large majority 38 to 12.[2] In 1920, Loula Roberts Platt, became the first woman to run for a seat in the state senate.[citation needed]

## Qualifications

[edit]

The qualifications to be a senator are found in the state Constitution: "Each Senator, at the time of his election, shall be not less than 25 years of age, shall be a qualified voter of the State, and shall have resided in the State as a citizen for two years and in the district for which he is chosen for one year immediately preceding his election."

## 2023–24 composition

[edit]

See also: 2020 North Carolina Senate election and Category:North Carolina General Assembly by session

Affiliation  | Party

(shading indicates majority caucus)

| Total  |

|
|
|

|  |
Republican | Democratic | Vacant
End of (2019–20) legislature  | 29  | 21  | 50  | 0
Beginning of previous (2021–22) legislature  | 28  | 22  | 50  | 0
End of previous (2021–22) legislature  | 28  | 22  | 50  | 0
Beginning of current (2023–24) legislature  | 30  | 20  | 50  | 0
Latest voting share  | 60%  | 40%  |

### Leadership

[edit]

North Carolina Senate[3] officers

Position  | Name  | Party
President Pro Tempore | Phil Berger | Republican
Deputy President Pro Tempore | Ralph Hise | Republican
Majority Leader | Paul Newton | Republican
Majority Whip | Tom McInnis | Republican
Joint Majority Caucus Leader | Carl Ford | Republican
Minority Whip | Jay Chaudhuri | Democratic
Minority Caucus Secretary | Julie Mayfield | Democratic

### Membership

[edit]

District  | Senator  | Image  | Party  | Residence  | Counties Represented  | First elected

|
|
|
|
|
|

1st | Norman Sanderson |  | Republican  | Minnesott Beach | Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan, Washington,
Dare, Hyde, Pamlico, Carteret | 2012
2nd | Bob Brinson |  | Republican  | New Bern | Lenoir, Craven, Beaufort | 2024↑
3rd | Bobby Hanig |  | Republican  | Powells Point | Warren, Northampton, Halifax, Martin,
Bertie, Hertford, Gates, Camden,
Currituck, Tyrrell | 2022↑
4th | Buck Newton |  | Republican  | Wilson | Wilson, Wayne, Greene | 2022 (2010–2016)
5th | Kandie Smith |  | Democratic  | Greenville | Edgecombe, Pitt | 2022
6th | Michael Lazzara |  | Republican  | Jacksonville | Onslow | 2020
7th | Michael Lee |  | Republican  | Wilmington | New Hanover (part)  | 2020 (2014–2018)
8th | Bill Rabon |  | Republican  | Southport | Columbus, Brunswick, New Hanover (part)  | 2010
9th | Brent Jackson |  | Republican  | Autryville | Bladen, Sampson (part), Pender, Duplin,
Jones | 2010
10th | Benton Sawrey |  | Republican  | Clayton | Johnston | 2022
11th | Lisa Stone Barnes |  | Republican  | Spring Hope | Vance, Franklin, Nash | 2020
12th | Jim Burgin |  | Republican  | Angier | Lee, Harnett, Sampson (part)  | 2018
13th | Lisa Grafstein |  | Democratic  | Raleigh | Wake (part)  | 2022
14th | Dan Blue |  | Democratic  | Raleigh | Wake (part)  | 2009↑
15th | Jay Chaudhuri |  | Democratic  | Raleigh | Wake (part)  | 2016↑
16th | Gale Adcock |  | Democratic  | Cary | Wake (part)  | 2022
17th | Sydney Batch |  | Democratic  | Apex | Wake (part)  | 2021↑
18th | Mary Wills Bode |  | Democratic  | Oxford | Granville, Wake (part)  | 2022
19th | Val Applewhite |  | Democratic  | Fayetteville | Cumberland (part)  | 2022
20th | Natalie Murdock |  | Democratic  | Durham | Chatham, Durham (part)  | 2020↑
21st | Tom McInnis |  | Republican  | Pinehurst | Moore, Cumberland (part)  | 2014
22nd | Mike Woodard |  | Democratic  | Durham | Durham (part)  | 2012
23rd | Graig Meyer |  | Democratic  | Hillsborough | Caswell, Person, Orange | 2022
24th | Danny Britt |  | Republican  | Lumberton | Hoke, Scotland, Robeson | 2016
25th | Amy Galey |  | Republican  | Burlington | Alamance, Randolph (part)  | 2020
26th | Phil Berger |  | Republican  | Eden | Rockingham, Guilford (part)  | 2000
27th | Michael Garrett |  | Democratic  | Greensboro | Guilford (part)  | 2018
28th | Gladys Robinson |  | Democratic  | Greensboro | Guilford (part)  | 2010
29th | Dave Craven |  | Republican  | Asheboro | Randolph (part), Montgomery, Richmond, Anson,
Union (part)  | 2020↑
30th | Steve Jarvis |  | Republican  | Lexington | Davie, Davidson | 2020
31st | Joyce Krawiec |  | Republican  | Kernersville | Stokes, Forsyth (part)  | 2014↑
32nd | Paul Lowe Jr. |  | Democratic  | Winston-Salem | Forsyth (part)  | 2015↑
33rd | Carl Ford |  | Republican  | China Grove | Rowan, Stanly | 2018
34th | Paul Newton |  | Republican  | Mount Pleasant | Cabarrus (part)  | 2016
35th | Todd Johnson |  | Republican  | Monroe | Cabarrus (part), Union (part)  | 2018
36th | Eddie Settle |  | Republican  | Elkin | Alexander, Wilkes, Surry, Yadkin | 2022
37th | Vickie Sawyer |  | Republican  | Mooresville | Iredell, Mecklenburg (part)  | 2018↑
38th | Mujtaba Mohammed |  | Democratic  | Charlotte | Mecklenburg (part)  | 2018
39th | DeAndrea Salvador |  | Democratic  | Charlotte | Mecklenburg (part)  | 2020
40th | Joyce Waddell |  | Democratic  | Charlotte | Mecklenburg (part)  | 2014
41st | Natasha Marcus |  | Democratic  | Davidson | Mecklenburg (part)  | 2018
42nd | Rachel Hunt |  | Democratic  | Charlotte | Mecklenburg (part)  | 2022
43rd | Brad Overcash |  | Republican  | Belmont | Gaston (part)  | 2022
44th | Ted Alexander |  | Republican  | Shelby | Cleveland, Lincoln, Gaston (part)  | 2018
45th | Dean Proctor |  | Republican  | Hickory | Catawba, Caldwell (part)  | 2020↑
46th | Warren Daniel |  | Republican  | Morganton | Burke, McDowell, Buncombe (part)  | 2010
47th | Ralph Hise |  | Republican  | Spruce Pine | Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga, Caldwell (part),
Avery, Mitchell, Yancey, Madison,
Haywood (part)  | 2010
48th | Tim Moffitt |  | Republican  | Hendersonville | Henderson, Polk, Rutherford | 2022
49th | Julie Mayfield |  | Democratic  | Asheville | Buncombe (part)  | 2020
50th | Kevin Corbin |  | Republican  | Franklin | Haywood (part), Transylvania, Jackson, Swain,
Macon, Graham, Cherokee, Clay | 2020

* ↑: Member was originally appointed to fill the remainder of an unexpired term.

## Past composition of the Senate

[edit]

Main article: Political party strength in North Carolina

## Coat of arms

[edit]

Coat of arms of North Carolina Senate  |

Adopted
2005
Crest
Issuant from a Coronet of a Noble of the former Province of Carolina Or a Cap of Liberty Gules raised upon a Pole Or between two Cornucopiae in saltire Argent replenished proper
Escutcheon
Argent on a Cross between four Escutcheons bases inwards Gules four Escutcheons bases also inwards Argent
Supporters
On each side an Aborigine of North Carolina as depicted by John White in the reign of Queen Elizabeth the First that on the dexter a Warrior supporting with his exterior hand a Long Bow and holding an Arrow girded at his back a Quiver that on the sinister a Woman holding in her exterior hand a Gourd all proper
Motto
ESSE QVAM VIDERI[4]

|

## See also

[edit]

* North Carolina House of Representatives
* List of North Carolina state legislatures

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "North Carolina State Senate". ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
2. ^ de Roulhac Hamilton, Joseph Grégoire (1914). Reconstruction in North Carolina.
3. ^ "Leadership - North Carolina General Assembly". www.ncleg.gov. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
4. ^ "SENATE OF NORTH CAROLINA". College of Arms Newsletter. College of Arms. Retrieved August 16, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Project Vote Smart – State Senate of North Carolina

* v
* t
* e

Members of the North Carolina State Senate

156th General Assembly (2023–2024)

President of the Senate
Mark Robinson (R)
President pro tempore
Phil Berger (R)
Majority Leader
Paul Newton (R)
Minority Leader
Dan Blue (D)

1. ▌Norman Sanderson (R)
2. ▌Bob Brinson (R)
3. ▌Bobby Hanig (R)
4. ▌Buck Newton (R)
5. ▌Kandie Smith (D)
6. ▌Michael Lazzara (R)
7. ▌Michael Lee (R)
8. ▌Bill Rabon (R)
9. ▌Brent Jackson (R)
10. ▌Benton Sawrey (R)
11. ▌Lisa Stone Barnes (R)
12. ▌Jim Burgin (R)
13. ▌Lisa Grafstein (D)
14. ▌Dan Blue (D)
15. ▌Jay Chaudhuri (D)
16. ▌Gale Adcock (D)
17. ▌Sydney Batch (D)
18. ▌Mary Wills Bode (D)
19. ▌Val Applewhite (D)
20. ▌Natalie Murdock (D)
21. ▌Tom McInnis (R)
22. ▌Mike Woodard (D)
23. ▌Graig Meyer (D)
24. ▌Danny Britt (R)
25. ▌Amy Galey (R)
26. ▌Phil Berger (R)
27. ▌Michael Garrett (D)
28. ▌Gladys Robinson (D)
29. ▌Dave Craven (R)
30. ▌Steve Jarvis (R)
31. ▌Joyce Krawiec (R)
32. ▌Paul Lowe Jr. (D)
33. ▌Carl Ford (R)
34. ▌Paul Newton (R)
35. ▌Todd Johnson (R)
36. ▌Eddie Settle (R)
37. ▌Vickie Sawyer (R)
38. ▌Mujtaba Mohammed (D)
39. ▌DeAndrea Salvador (D)
40. ▌Joyce Waddell (D)
41. ▌Natasha Marcus (D)
42. ▌Rachel Hunt (D)
43. ▌Brad Overcash (R)
44. ▌Ted Alexander (R)
45. ▌Dean Proctor (R)
46. ▌Warren Daniel (R)
47. ▌Ralph Hise (R)
48. ▌Tim Moffitt (R)
49. ▌Julie Mayfield (D)
50. ▌Kevin Corbin (R)

* ▌Republican (30)
* ▌Democratic (20)

* North Carolina General Assembly
* North Carolina House of Representatives
* North Carolina Senate

* v
* t
* e

North Carolina General Assemblies by year convened and order

List of North Carolina state legislatures
Senate
President pro tempore of the Senate
House of Commons
House of Representatives
Speakers of the House of Representatives (see Note)|

* 1 (1777)
* 2 (1778)
* 3 (1779)
* 4 (1780)
* 5 (1781)
* 6 (1782)
* 7 (1783)
* 8 (Apr 1784)
* 9 (Oct 1784)
* 10 (1785)
* 11 (1786)
* 12 (1787)
* 13 (1788)
* 14 (1789)
* 15 (1790)
* 16 (1791)
* 17 (1792)
* 18 (1793)
* 19 (1794)
* 20 (1795)
* 21 (1796)
* 22 (1797)
* 23 (1798)
* 24 (1799)
* 25 (1800)
* 26 (1801)
* 27 (1802)
* 28 (1803)
* 29 (1804)
* 30 (1805)
* 31 (1806)
* 32 (1807)
* 33 (1808)
* 34 (1809)
* 35 (1810)
* 36 (1811)
* 37 (1812)
* 38 (1813)
* 39 (1814)
* 40 (1815)
* 41 (1816)
* 42 (1817)
* 43 (1818)
* 44 (1819)
* 45 (1820)
* 46 (1821)
* 47 (1822)
* 48 (1823)
* 49 (1824)
* 50 (1825)
* 51 (1826)
* 52 (1827)
* 53 (1828)
* 54 (1829)
* 55 (1830)
* 56 (1831)
* 57 (1832)
* 58 (1833)
* 59 (1834)
* 60 (1835)
* 61 (1836)
* 62 (1840)
* 63 (1842)
* 64 (1844)
* 65 (1846)
* 66 (1846)
* 67 (1848)
* 68 (1850)
* 69 (1852)
* 70 (1854)
* 71 (1856)
* 72 (1858)
* 73 (1860)
* 74 (1862)
* 75 (1864)
* 76 (1865)
* 77 (1866)
* 78 (1868)
* 79 (1869)
* 80 (1870)
* 81 (1872)
* 82 (1874)
* 83 (1876)
* 84 (1879)
* 85 (1881)
* 86 (1883)
* 87 (1885)
* 88 (1887)
* 89 (1889)
* 90 (1891)
* 91 (1893)
* 92 (1895)
* 93 (1897)
* 94 (1899)
* 95 (1901)
* 96 (1903)
* 97 (1905)
* 98 (1907)
* 99 (1909)
* 100 (1911)
* 101 (1913)
* 102 (1915)
* 103 (1917)
* 104 (1919)
* 105 (1921)
* 106 (1923)
* 107 (1925)
* 108 (1927)
* 109 (1929)
* 110 (1931)
* 111 (1933)
* 112 (1935)
* 113 (1937)
* 114 (1939)
* 115 (1941)
* 116 (1943)
* 117 (1945)
* 118 (1947)
* 119 (1949)
* 120 (1951)
* 121 (1953)
* 122 (1955)
* 123 (1957)
* 124 (1959)
* 125 (1961)
* 126 (1963)
* 127 (1965)
* 128 (1967)
* 129 (1969)
* 130 (1971)
* 131 (1973)
* 132 (1975)
* 133 (1977)
* 134 (1979)
* 135 (1981)
* 136 (1983)
* 137 (1985)
* 138 (1987)
* 139 (1989)
* 140 (1991)
* 141 (1993)
* 142 (1995)
* 143 (1997)
* 144 (1999)
* 145 (2001)
* 146 (2003)
* 147 (2005)
* 148 (2007)
* 149 (2009)
* 150 (2011)
* 151 (2013)
* 152 (2015)
* 153 (2017)
* 154 (2019)
* 155 (2021)
* 156 (2023)

Other|

Executive Branch: Governor of North Carolina (List), Lieutenant Governor (since 1868), Cabinets, Council of State, Attorney General

Conventions|

Hillsborough Convention of 1788, Fayetteville Convention of 1789

Provincial Congresses and Constitution|

North Carolina Provincial Congress (1774–1776: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th), Constitution of North Carolina (1776, 1835 Convention, 1861 Convention, 1868 redraft, 1875 Convention, Constitution of 1971)

Notes: Prior to the Constitution of 1868: the lower house of the North Carolina Legislature was known as the House of Commons and the leader of the Senate was called the Speaker of the Senate.

* v
* t
* e

Legislatures of the United States

United States Congress|

* United States House of Representatives
* United States Senate

State legislatures|

* Alabama (H, S)
* Alaska (H, S)
* Arizona (H, S)
* Arkansas (H, S)
* California (A, S)
* Colorado (H, S)
* Connecticut (H, S)
* Delaware (H, S)
* Florida (H, S)
* Georgia (H, S)
* Hawaii (H, S)
* Idaho (H, S)
* Illinois (H, S)
* Indiana (H, S)
* Iowa (H, S)
* Kansas (H, S)
* Kentucky (H, S)
* Louisiana (H, S)
* Maine (H, S)
* Maryland (H, S)
* Massachusetts (H, S)
* Michigan (H, S)
* Minnesota (H, S)
* Mississippi (H, S)
* Missouri (H, S)
* Montana (H, S)
* Nebraska
* Nevada (A, S)
* New Hampshire (H, S)
* New Jersey (GA, S)
* New Mexico (H, S)
* New York (A, S)
* North Carolina (H, S)
* North Dakota (H, S)
* Ohio (H, S)
* Oklahoma (H, S)
* Oregon (H, S)
* Pennsylvania (H, S)
* Rhode Island (H, S)
* South Carolina (H, S)
* South Dakota (H, S)
* Tennessee (H, S)
* Texas (H, S)
* Utah (H, S)
* Vermont (H, S)
* Virginia (H, S)
* Washington (H, S)
* West Virginia (H, S)
* Wisconsin (A, S)
* Wyoming (H, S)

Other legislatures|

* District of Columbia
* American Samoa (H, S)
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands (H, S)
* Puerto Rico (H, S)
* U.S. Virgin Islands

Legislative elections|

* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

* List of U.S. state legislators
* Lists of past U.S. state legislatures

Portals:

* Law
* North Carolina
* Politics

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Israel

35°46′59.53″N 78°38′20.24″W﻿ / ﻿35.7832028°N 78.6389556°W﻿ / 35.7832028; -78.6389556
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template