# George G. Cleveland

George Grant Cleveland (born May 9, 1939), is a former Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He represented the 14th District (including constituents in eastern Onslow County) from 2005 to 2025. He is a 25-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
He currently resides in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where he has lived for over 25 years. In 2012, Cleveland generated controversy when he stated that the state of North Carolina has "no one in the state of North Carolina living in extreme poverty" during a debate in the House regarding preschool funding. In a conflicting statement, the non-profit group Action for Children in North Carolina cited statistics claiming one in ten North Carolina children live in extreme poverty.

## North Carolina House of Representatives

Cleveland first ran for the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2004, where he defeated incumbent Keith Williams in the Republican primary. He has been re-elected a total of 8 times, most recently in 2020. He was defeated for re-election in the 2024 primary by college student Wyatt Gable, who was just over one-quarter of his age.
In February 2017, Cleveland joined with Representatives Michael Speciale (R-Craven), and Larry Pittman (R-Cabarrus) in proposing a constitutional amendment that would allow North Carolina voters to repeal Article I, Section 4 of the North Carolina Constitution. This article declares "This State shall ever remain a member of the American Union; the people thereof are part of the American nation," and prohibits the state from seceding from the United States of America, and its inclusion in North Carolina's 1868 constitution was a condition for being readmitted into the Union after the Civil War.
During the 2017 session, Cleveland introduced a bill to budget the funds to purchase for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol three rescue helicopters.
H.B. 1050 was introduced by Representative Cleveland in 2018. The bill worked to authorize the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to apply for Federal Funds for the Expansion of Sandhills 4 State Vets Cemetery and Western Carolina State Cemetery.

## Committee assignments
### 2023–2024 session

* Appropriations (Vice Chair)
* Appropriations - General Government (Chair)
* Marine Resources and Aqua Culture (Chair)
* Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs (Vice Chair)
* Transportation (Vice Chair)
* Insurance

### 2021–2022 session

* Appropriations (Vice Chair)
* Appropriations - General Government (Chair)
* Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs (Vice Chair)
* Marine Resources and Aqua Culture (Vice Chair)
* State Government (Vice Chair)
* Transportation (Vice Chair)
* Insurance

### 2019–2020 session

* Appropriations (Vice Chair)
* Appropriations - General Government Committee (Chair)
* Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs (Chair)
* House State and Local Government (Vice Chair)
* Transportation (Vice Chair)
* Insurance
* Wildlife Resources

### 2017–2018 session

* Appropriations (Vice Chair)
* Appropriations - General Government (Chair)
* Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs (Chair)
* Transportation (Vice Chair)
* State and Local Government I
* Wildlife Resources
* Agriculture
* Judiciary IV

### 2015–2016 session

* Appropriations (Vice Chair)
* Appropriations - General Government (Chair)
* Appropriations - Information Technology
* Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs (Chair)
* Transportation (Vice Chair)
* Local Government
* Wildlife Resources
* Agriculture
* Education - K-12
* Judiciary III

### 2013–2014 session

* Appropriations (Vice Chair)
* Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs (Chair)
* Transportation (Vice Chair)
* Government
* Agriculture
* Education
* Judiciary

### 2011–2012 session

* Appropriations
* Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs (Chair)
* Transportation
* Government
* Agriculture
* Education
* Judiciary

### 2009–2010 session

* Appropriations
* Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs
* Transportation
* Wildlife Resources
* Education

## Electoral history
### 2024

North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district Republican primary election, 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Wyatt Gable | 2,467 | 50.98% |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 2,372 | 49.02% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,839 | 100% |

### 2022

North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district general election, 2022 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 9,418 | 66.21% |
| | Democratic | Isiah "Ike" Johnson | 4,807 | 33.79% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,225 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2020

In March 2020, Cleveland, R-Onslow, won the Republican nomination to retain the N.C. House District 14 seat with 68% of the vote. He defeated Democrat Mary Wofford in the general election.
North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district Republican primary election, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 4,112 | 67.60% |
| | Republican | Cindy Edwards | 1,971 | 32.40% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 6,083 | 100% |
North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district general election, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 19,666 | 60.02% |
| | Democratic | Marcy Wofford | 13,100 | 39.98% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 32,266 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2018

In November 2018, Cleveland beat Isaiah Johnson by almost 18 percentage points.
North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district Republican primary election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 2,122 | 52.54% |
| | Republican | Joseph R. McLaughlin | 1,917 | 47.46% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,039 | 100% |
North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district general election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 10,544 | 58.82% |
| | Democratic | Isaiah (Ike) Johnson | 7,381 | 41.18% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,295 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2016

North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district general election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 18,908 | 100% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 18,908 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014

North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district Republican primary election, 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 3,051 | 55.22% |
| | Republican | Bobby Mills | 2,474 | 44.78% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 5,525 | 100% |
North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district general election, 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 10,740 | 100% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,740 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2012

North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district general election, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 15,861 | 100% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 15,861 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2010

North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district general election, 2010 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 8,961 | 100% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,961 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2008

North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district Republican primary election, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 1,930 | 55.86% |
| | Republican | Martin Aragona, Jr. | 1,525 | 44.14% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,455 | 100% |
North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district general election, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 16,926 | 100% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,926 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2006

North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district Republican primary election, 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 533 | 54.78% |
| | Republican | Keith Williams | 440 | 45.22% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 973 | 100% |
North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district general election, 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland (incumbent) | 5,238 | 58.05% |
| | Democratic | Kever M. Clark | 3,785 | 41.95% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,023 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2004

North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district Republican primary election, 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland | 1,182 | 53.92% |
| | Republican | Keith Williams (incumbent) | 1,010 | 46.08% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,192 | 100% |
North Carolina House of Representatives 14th district general election, 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Cleveland | 11,479 | 60.78% |
| | Democratic | Kever M. Clark | 7,406 | 39.22% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 18,885 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |