North Carolina Senate

North Carolina State Senate
North Carolina General Assembly
Type
Type Upper house
Term limits None
New session started January 26, 2011
Leadership
President of the Senate Walter H. Dalton, (D)
since January 10, 2009
President Pro Tem of the Senate Phil Berger, (R)
since January 26, 2011
Majority Leader Harry Brown, (R)
since January 26, 2011
Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt, Jr., (D)
since January 26, 2011
Structure
Members 50
Political groups Republican Party (30)
Democratic Party (19)
Vacant (1)
Length of term 2 years
Authority Article II, North Carolina Constitution
Salary $13,951/year + per diem
Elections
Last election November 2, 2010
(50 seats)
Next election November 6, 2012
(50 seats)
Redistricting Legislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
North Carolina State Legislative Building
Raleigh, North Carolina
Website
North Carolina State Senate

The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.

Its 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 a 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.

Contents

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."

Composition

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
End of previous legislature 30 20 50 0
Begin 19 31 50 0
October 31, 2011[1] 30 49 1
Latest voting share 38.8% 61.2%

2011–2012 Senate Leadership

North Carolina Senate Officers
Position Name Party
Lieutenant Governor / President of the Senate Walter H. Dalton Democratic
President Pro Tem Phil Berger Republican
Deputy President Pro Tempore Vacant [2] Republican
Majority Leader Harry Brown Republican
Majority Whip Jerry W. Tillman Republican
Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt, Jr. Democratic
Deputy Minority Leaders Linda Garrou Democratic
Floyd McKissick, Jr. Democratic
Don Vaughan Democratic
Minority Whip Josh Stein Democratic

North Carolina Senate Leadership

Members of the North Carolina Senate

District Representative Party Residence Counties Represented Number of Terms (+ Denotes Partial Term)
1 Stan White[3] Democratic Nags Head Beaufort, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Pasquotank, Tyrrell, Washington 1
2 Jean Preston Republican Emerald Isle Carteret, Craven, Pamlico 3
3 Clark Jenkins Democratic Tarboro Edgecombe, Martin, Pitt 5
4 Ed Jones Democratic Enfield Bertie, Chowan, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Northampton, Perquimans +3
5 Louis Pate Republican Mount Olive Greene, Pitt, Wayne 1
6 Harry Brown Republican Jacksonville Jones, Onslow 4
7 Doug Berger Democratic Youngsville Franklin, Granville, Vance, Warren 4
8 Bill Rabon Republican Southport Brunswick, Columbus, Pender 1
9 Thom Goolsby Republican Wilmington New Hanover 1
10 Brent Jackson Republican Autryville Duplin, Lenoir, Samson 1
11 Buck Newton Republican Wilson Nash, Wilson 1
12 David Rouzer Republican Benson Johnston, Wayne 2
13 Michael P. Walters Democratic Fairmont Hoke, Robeson +1
14 Dan Blue Democratic Raleigh Wake +1
15 Neal Hunt Republican Raleigh Wake 3
16 Josh Stein Democratic Raleigh Wake 2
17 Richard Y. Stevens Republican Cary Wake 5
18 Bob Atwater Democratic Chapel Hill Chatham, Durham, Lee 4
19 Wesley Meredith Republican Fayetteville Bladen, Cumberland +1
20 Floyd McKissick, Jr. Democratic Durham Durham +2
21 Eric L. Mansfield Democratic Fayetteville Cumberland 1
22 Harris Blake Republican Pinehurst Harnett, Moore 5
23 Eleanor Kinnaird Democratic Carrboro Orange, Person 8
24 Rick Gunn Republican Burlington Alamance, Caswell 1
25 William R. Purcell Democratic Laurinburg Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly +7
26 Phil Berger Republican Eden Guilford, Rockingham 6
27 Don Vaughan Democratic Greensboro Guilford 2
28 Gladys A. Robinson Democratic Greensboro Guilford 1
29 Jerry W. Tillman Republican Archdale Montgomery, Randolph 5
30 Don East Republican Pilot Mountain Alleghany, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin 7
31 Peter Brunstetter Republican Lewisville Forsyth +3
32 Linda Garrou Democratic Winston-Salem Forsyth 7
33 Stan Bingham Republican Denton Davidson, Guilford 6
34 Andrew Brock Republican Mocksville Davie, Rowan 5
35 Tommy Tucker Republican Waxhaw Mecklenburg, Union 1
36 Fletcher L. Hartsell, Jr. Republican Concord Cabarrus, Iredell 11
37 Daniel Clodfelter Democratic Charlotte Mecklenburg 7
38 Charlie Smith Dannelly Democratic Charlotte Mecklenburg +9
39 Bob Rucho Republican Matthews Mecklenburg +5
40 Malcolm Graham Democratic Charlotte Mecklenburg 4
41 Chris Carney [4] Republican Mooresville Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln +
42 Austin Allran Republican Hickory Catawba, Iredell 13
43 Kathy Harrington Republican Gastonia Gaston 1
44 Warren Daniel Republican Morganton Burke, Caldwell 1
45 Dan Soucek Republican Boone Alexander, Ashe, Watauga, Wilkes 1
46 Debbie Clary Republican Shelby Cleveland, Rutherford 2
47 Ralph Hise Republican Spruce Pine Avery, Haywood, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey 1
48 Tom Apodaca Republican Hendersonville Buncombe, Henderson, Polk 5
49 Martin Nesbitt, Jr. Democratic Asheville Buncombe +4
50 Jim Davis Republican Franklin Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania 1

See also

References

  1. ^ Republican James Forrester (District 41) died
  2. ^ Sen. Forrester held the office at the time of his death on Oct. 31, 2011.
  3. ^ White was appointed to fill the seat to which Marc Basnight had been elected in the 2010 general election. Basnight resigned just before the 2011 legislative session was set to begin.
  4. ^ Took office Dec. 20, 2011, replacing James Forrester, who had died Oct. 31.

External links

Members of the North Carolina State Senate
President of the Senate: Walter H. Dalton (D) • President pro Tempore: Phil Berger (R) • Majority Leader: Harry Brown (R) • Minority Leader: Martin Nesbitt (D)
   
  1.    Stan White (D)
  2.    Jean R. Preston (R)
  3.    Clark Jenkins (D)
  4.    Edward Jones (D)
  5.    Louis M. Pate, Jr. (R)
  6.    Harry Brown (R)
  7.    Doug Berger (D)
  8.    Bill Rabon (R)
  9.    Thom Goolsby (R)
  10.    Brent Jackson (R)
  11.    Buck Newton (R)
  12.    David Rouzer (R)
  13.    Michael P. Walters (D)
  1.    Daniel T. Blue, Jr. (D)
  2.    Neal Hunt (R)
  3.    Josh Stein (D)
  4.    Richard Y. Stevens (R)
  5.    Bob Atwater (D)
  6.    Wesley Meredith (R)
  7.    Floyd McKissick, Jr. (D)
  8.    Eric L. Mansfield (D)
  9.    Harris Blake (R)
  10.    Eleanor Kinnaird (D)
  11.    Rick Gunn (R)
  12.    William R. Purcell (D)
  1.    Phil Berger (R)
  2.    Don Vaughan (D)
  3.    Gladys A. Robinson (D)
  4.    Jerry W. Tillman (R)
  5.    Don East (R)
  6.    Peter Brunstetter (R)
  7.    Linda Garrou (D)
  8.    Stan Bingham (R)
  9.    Andrew C. Brock (R)
  10.    Tommy Tucker (R)
  11.    Fletcher L. Hartsell, Jr. (R)
  12.    Daniel G. Clodfelter (D)
  1.    Charlie Smith Dannelly (D)
  2.    Bob Rucho (R)
  3.    Malcolm Graham (D)
  4.    Chris Carney (R)
  5.    Austin M. Allran (R)
  6.    Kathy Harrington (R)
  7.    Warren Daniel (R)
  8.    Dan Soucek (R)
  9.    Debbie A. Clary (R)
  10.    Ralph Hise (R)
  11.    Tom Apodaca (R)
  12.    Martin Nesbitt (D)
  13.    Jim Davis (R)
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