Upper house of the bicameral North Carolina General Assembly
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 term of office for each senator is only two years.
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 Lt. Governor has very limited powers and only votes to break a tie. Before the office of Lt. Governor was created in 1868, the Senate was presided over by a "Speaker." After the 1988 election of James Carson Gardner, the first Republican Lt. Governor since Reconstruction, Democrats in control of the Senate shifted most of the power held by the Lt. 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 Lt. Governor is the official who has been impeached, the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court presides.
Qualifications
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
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
Membership
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
|
Jim Perry
|
|
Republican
|
Kinston
|
Lenoir, Craven, Beaufort
|
2019↑
|
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
Coat of arms
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
|
See also
|
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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) | |
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Other | |
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Conventions | |
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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) |
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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. |
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35°46′59.53″N 78°38′20.24″W / 35.7832028°N 78.6389556°W / 35.7832028; -78.6389556