NC Senate Archives

Phil Berger’s confirms reelection bid, setting up likely 2026 primary with local sheriff

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger has firmed up publicly plans to run again for his Senate seat next year. It appears to set up a Republican primary in March 2026 in his district against longtime Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. Page announced last week that he would run for the 26th Senate District regardless of whether Berger wanted to continue representing the area. Berger’s comments on Tuesday go beyond what he told reporters about his political future the day before Page’s decision became public. Berger joined the Senate in 2001 and has been the chamber leader since 2011.… Continue Reading

North Carolina sheriff to seek state Senate seat now held by powerful Phil Berger

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The longtime sheriff in North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger’s home county says he plans to run for Berger’s seat next year regardless of whether the powerful politician seeks another term. Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page told The News & Observer of Raleigh of his plans on Thursday. Page was first elected sheriff in 1998. Conflict with Berger surfaced in 2023 over efforts to authorize a casino in Rockingham County. Page ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 2024. Berger told reporters this week he still enjoys the legislative work and that any decision wasn’t required until later in the year.… Continue Reading

Last North Carolina legislative races get finalized, confirming GOP loss of veto-proof control

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina General Assembly elections have been finalized and confirm that Republicans have lost their veto-proof control of the legislature after nearly two years. Election officials issued on Monday certificates to the winners in three close legislative races from November. The defeat of state Rep. Frank Sossamon to Democrat Bryan Cohn means Republicans are one seat shy of holding a veto-proof majority at the legislature. Now the veto stamp of new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein could be more effective in blocking GOP measures that he opposes. Opening day of the next two-year General Assembly session is Wednesday.… Continue Reading

Groundbreaking North Carolina lawmaker Dan Blue will no longer be state Senate minority leader

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A groundbreaking figure in North Carolina politics will no longer serve as leader of state Senate Democrats. Sen. Dan Blue of Wake County first joined the General Assembly in 1981 and was elected the state’s first Black House speaker in 1991. Blue has been the Senate minority leader for over a decade. But on Monday the Senate Democratic Caucus elected Sen. Sydney Batch as the minority leader for the next two-year session. A caucus news release said Blue announced his desire to decline another term as leader before the caucus election. The House Democratic Caucus reelected Rep. Robert Reives as minority leader on Monday.… Continue Reading

North Carolina elections chief wants senator to take back comment about vote manipulation

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina State Board of Elections’ top administrator wants a powerful legislator to retract a comment that he made suggesting this month’s results were being manipulated. Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell wrote to Senate leader on Thursday, the day after he spoke to reporters. Senate leader Phil Berger sounded unhappy with a lengthy post-election counting process and inferred it was being used to help change a result. Brinson Bell said Berger’s accusation “has absolutely no basis in fact” and that county election boards were duty-bound to examine provisional and absentee ballots. A Republican initially led a state Supreme Court race on election night, but the Democrat is now ahead while there is a recount.… Continue Reading

Phil Berger is poised to continue his run leading North Carolina’s Senate

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Senate Republicans have left their leadership team mostly intact for the next two years. That includes choosing Sen. Phil Berger again to hold the chamber’s most powerful position. The Senate Republican Caucus met Wednesday and agreed to nominate Berger to an eighth two-year term as Senate leader when the next two-year term convenes in early January. His election as Senate president pro tempore is a virtual lock as the GOP will hold at least 30 of the chamber’s 50 seats. The caucus also again picked Sens. Ralph Hise and Paul Newton of Cabarrus County for other positions.… Continue Reading

North Carolina GOP’s legislative priorities for this year inch closer to becoming law

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina House voted to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill that drastically expands private school scholarship grants and forces local sheriffs to comply with federal immigration agents’ requests to detain certain inmates. The House voted along party lines on Tuesday. The bill includes about $463 million to eliminate the state’s private school voucher waitlist. The other part of the legislation focuses on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement cooperation with sheriffs. Proponents say the legislation will keep North Carolinians safer. But opponents say it unfairly targets immigrant communities.… Continue Reading

Republican lawmakers are set to elect a new North Carolina House speaker, Destin Hall

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina House Republicans have carried out a succession plan to choose the chamber’s rules committee chairman to succeed Rep. Tim Moore after 10 years as speaker. Republicans who recently won House elections met Tuesday and chose Rep. Destin Hall of Caldwell County to succeed Moore in the post when the next two-year session opens in January. Moore was elected to Congress this fall and is departing after a record five terms as speaker. Key House GOP leaders backed a plan in which Hall would become the speaker nominee and Bell would succeed Hall as the next rules chairman.… Continue Reading