# North Carolina Senate

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.
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

During the Reconstruction era, African Americans served in the state senate (African American officeholders from the end of the Civil War until before 1900). By 1874 four African Americans, all Republicans, were in the body as Democrats had already regained a large majority 38 to 12. In 1920, Loula Roberts Platt, became the first woman to run for a seat in the state senate.

## 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) | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| Affiliation | Republican | Democratic | Total | 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

North Carolina Senate 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 Leader | Sydney Batch | Democratic |
| Minority Whip | Jay Chaudhuri | Democratic |
| Minority Caucus Secretary | Julie Mayfield | Democratic |

### Membership

| District | Senator | Party | Residence | Counties Represented | First elected |
| 1st | Bobby Hanig | Republican | Powells Point | Bertie, Northampton, Hertford, Gates, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck, Tyrrell, Dare | 2022↑ |
| 2nd | Norman Sanderson | Republican | Minnesott Beach | Warren, Halifax, Martin, Chowan, Washington, Hyde, Pamlico, Carteret | 2012 |
| 3rd | Bob Brinson | Republican | New Bern | Lenoir, Craven, Beaufort | 2024↑ |
| 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 | Holly Springs | Wake (part) | 2021↑ |
| 18th | Terence Everitt | Democratic | Wake Forest | Granville, Wake (part) | 2024 |
| 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 | Sophia Chitlik | Democratic | Durham | Durham (part) | 2024 |
| 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 | Dana Caudill Jones | Republican | Kernersville | Stokes, Forsyth (part) | 2024 |
| 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 | Caleb Theodros | Democratic | Charlotte | Mecklenburg (part) | 2024 |
| 42nd | Woodson Bradley | Democratic | Charlotte | Mecklenburg (part) | 2024 |
| 43rd | Brad Overcash | Republican | Belmont | Gaston (part) | 2022 |
| 44th | Ted Alexander | Republican | Shelby | Cleveland, Lincoln, Gaston (part) | 2018 |
| 45th | Mark Hollo | Republican | Conover | Catawba, Caldwell (part) | 2024 |
| 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.

## Coat of arms

Coat of arms of North Carolina Senate :
* Adopted2005
* CrestIssuant 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
* EscutcheonArgent on a Cross between four Escutcheons bases inwards Gules four Escutcheons bases also inwards Argent
* SupportersOn 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
* MottoESSE QVAM VIDERI