General Assembly of North Carolina
| North Carolina State Legislature | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| Session start: | April 24, 2024 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Mark Robinson (R) |
| House Speaker: | Timothy K. Moore (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Senate: Paul Newton (R) House: John Bell (North Carolina) (R) |
| Minority Leader: | Senate: Dan Blue (D) House: Robert Reives (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 50 (Senate), 120 (House) |
| Length of term: | 2 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Art II, North Carolina Constitution |
| Salary: | $13,951/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Next election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Redistricting: | Legislature-dominant |
The General Assembly of North Carolina is the state legislature of North Carolina. The General Assembly is a bicameral legislature, consisting of the North Carolina House of Representatives (formerly the North Carolina House of Commons) and the North Carolina State Senate. The House has 120 members, while the Senate has 50.
The General Assembly is referred to as both the North Carolina General Assembly and the General Assembly of North Carolina, with no official precedent.[1] Both names are used throughout the North Carolina General Statutes. Article II Section 21 of the North Carolina Constitution states that acts must use the phrase "the General Assembly of North Carolina enacts."
Legislators in both chambers serve two-year terms without term limits. Starting with the 2002 election, each legislator represents a single-member House or Senatorial district; prior to 2002, some districts elected multiple legislators.
The General Assembly meets in the state capital of Raleigh (except for special occasions, when legislators might decide to hold a ceremonial session in some other city). It met in the Capitol building until 1963, when the legislature relocated to the new North Carolina State Legislative Building.[2]
On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new legislative district boundaries.[3] The legislation adopting the new Senate districts passed the State Senate by a vote of 28-17 and the State House by a vote of 63-40.[4] The legislation adopting the new House districts passed the State Senate by a vote of 27-17 and the State House by a vote of 62-44.[5] All four votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.[6][7][8][9] WUNC's Rusty Jacobs wrote that Catawba College Prof. Michael "Bitzer said Republicans have drawn maps that have a strong chance of preserving their veto-proof super majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Bitzer noted that constitutional provisions, like requiring legislators to keep counties whole when drawing state legislative districts, make it more difficult for lawmakers to gerrymander these maps more aggressively."[10] Click here for more information.
North Carolina has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor, while the Republican Party controls both chambers of the state legislature.
Senate
The Senate has 50 members.
As of the 2020 Census, North Carolina state senators represented an average of 209,079 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 191,316 residents.
The President of the Senate is the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, but the Lt. Governor 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.
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.
| Party | As of November 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 20 | |
| Republican Party | 30 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | |
Click here for a list of members of this chamber.
Republicans won control of the North Carolina State Senate in 2010. In 2022, they won a 30-20 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the North Carolina Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
North Carolina State Senate election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 39 | 26 | 30 | 35 | 35 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 21 | 22 | 20 |
| Republicans | 11 | 24 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 29 | 28 | 30 |
House of Representatives
The 120 members of the House are led by a Speaker, who holds powers similar to those of the Senate President pro-tem.
As of the 2020 Census, North Carolina state representatives represented an average of 87,116 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 79,715 residents.
| Party | As of November 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 48 | |
| Republican Party | 71 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 120 | |
Click here for a list of members of this chamber.
Republicans won control of the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2010. In 2022, they won a 71-49 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the North Carolina House following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
North Carolina House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 78 | 52 | 59 | 66 | 62 | 59 | 63 | 68 | 68 | 52 | 43 | 46 | 46 | 55 | 51 | 49 |
| Republicans | 42 | 68 | 61 | 54 | 58 | 61 | 57 | 52 | 52 | 67 | 77 | 74 | 74 | 65 | 69 | 71 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Elections
2026
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.
Elections for the North Carolina House of Representatives will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.
2024
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was March 5, 2024, and the primary runoff was May 14, 2024. The filing deadline was December 15, 2023.
Elections for the North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was March 5, 2024, and the primary runoff was May 14, 2024. The filing deadline was December 15, 2023.
2022
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was held on May 17, 2022. A primary runoff was scheduled to be held on July 5, 2022. The filing deadline was March 4, 2022.
Elections for the North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was held on May 17, 2022. A primary runoff was scheduled to be held on July 5, 2022. The filing deadline was March 4, 2022.
2020
Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020. The filing deadline was December 20, 2019.
Elections for the office of North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020. The filing deadline was December 20, 2019.
In the 2020 elections, the Republican majority in the North Carolina House of Representatives increased from 65-55 to 69-51.
| North Carolina House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 55 | 51 | |
| Republican Party | 65 | 69 | |
| Total | 120 | 120 | |
2018
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2018. The semi-closed primary election took place on May 8, 2018, and a primary runoff took place on June 26, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was February 28, 2018.[11][12]
Elections for the North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2018. The semi-closed primary election took place on May 8, 2018, and a primary runoff took place on June 26, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was February 28, 2018.[13][14]
2016
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016.[15] The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.[16]
Elections for the North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016.[17] The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.[18]
2014
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 28, 2014.
Elections for the North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 28, 2014.
2012
Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 8, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was February 29, 2012.
Elections for the office of North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 8, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was February 29, 2012.
2010
Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 4, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was February 26, 2010.
Elections for the office of North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 4, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was February 26, 2010.
Sessions
Section 11 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution establishes that the General Assembly is to convene a new regular session every two years, and that the dates for these sessions are to be set by law. Sessions in the General Assembly of North Carolina last two years and begin on odd numbered years after elections. Sessions begin at noon on the third Wednesday after the second Monday in January.[19]
2024
In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on April 24, 2024, and adjourn on July 31, 2024.
2023
In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2023, and adjourn on October 25, 2023.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
2022In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on May 18, 2022, and adjourn on July 1, 2022. 2021In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 13, 2021, and adjourn on December 30, 2021. 2020In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on April 28, 2020, and adjourn on September 3, 2020.
Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. 2019In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2019, through October 31, 2019. It reconvened from November 13-15 over redistricting. It was expected to reconvene on January 14, 2020, over redistricting, vetoes, and healthcare. 2018In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 10, 2018, through December 27, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 11, 2017, through June 30, 2017. Before the legislature adjourned its regular scheduled session, the legislature scheduled the following additional session dates: August 3, August 18 to August 25, August 28 to August 31, and October 4 to October 17.[20] 2016
In 2016, the legislature was in session from April 25 through July 1.
2015
In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 14 through September 30. Major issues in 2015Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included the budget shortfall, Medicaid expansion, increased teacher pay, coal ash clean up, and reforming the state's tax structure.[26] Legislators and Governor Pat McCrory (R) disagreed over religious exemptions for local officials issuing marriage licenses, which is detailed here. 2014
In 2014, the legislature was in session from May 14 through August 20. Major issues in 2014Major issues in the 2014 legislative session included financing the $445 million state budget shortfall, teacher pay, Medicaid, and coal ash ponds.[27] 2013
In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 9 to July 26. Major issues in 2013Major issues in the 2013 legislative session included tax reform, cutting government regulations, and reshaping the state's public schools.[28] 2012
In 2012, the legislature convened on May 16 and adjourned July 3. 2011
In 2011, the legislature was in regular session from January 26 to June 18.[29] A special session dealing with redistricting began July 13 and ended July 28. The redistricting session covered more than just redistricting, with Republicans overriding five of Governor Perdue's (D) vetoes. Some of the overturned vetoes included the Women's Right to Know Act and state regulatory overhaul. Democratic lawmakers achieved victory in sustaining the veto on the voter I.D. bill.[30] A second special session was called for September 12 to consider constitutional amendments, including a potential ban on same-sex marriage.[30] 2010
In 2010, the legislature was in session from May 12 to July 11.[31] |
Role in state budget
- See also: North Carolina state budget and finances
North Carolina on 
|
The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[32]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in October.
- State agency budget requests are submitted in December.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the North Carolina State Legislature in March.
- The legislature adopts a budget between June and August. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
- The biennial budget cycle begins in July.
North Carolina is one of six states in which the governor cannot exercise line item veto authority.[32][33]
The governor is constitutionally and statutorily required to submit a balanced budget. Likewise, the legislature is constitutionally and statutorily required to pass a balanced budget.[32]
Legislators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[34] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $13,951/year | $104/day |
Swearing in dates
North Carolina legislators assume office on January 1 the year after their election.[35][36]
District maps
State Senate
State House
Veto overrides
- See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in North Carolina are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Three-fifths of members in both chambers.
| Three-fifths of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 72 of the 120 members in the North Carolina House of Representatives and 30 of the 50 members in the North Carolina State Senate. North Carolina is one of seven states that requires a three-fifths vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?
| According to Article II, Section 22 of the North Carolina Constitution, vetoes can be overridden in a special veto session that the governor must call if he or she vetoes a bill after the legislature has adjourned. If the governor does not reconvene the legislature, the bill shall become law. If a majority of legislators in both chambers sign a request saying that the session is unnecessary, then the governor does not have to call it. |
Authority: Article II, Section 22 of the North Carolina Constitution.
| "If the Governor approves, the Governor shall sign it and it shall become a law; but if not, the Governor shall return it with objections, together with a veto message stating the reasons for such objections, to that house in which it shall have originated, which shall enter the objections and veto message at large on its journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsideration three-fifths of the members of that house present and voting shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections and veto message, to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered; and if approved by three-fifths of the members of that house present and voting, it shall become a law notwithstanding the objections of the Governor." |
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in North Carolina
In North Carolina, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. District maps cannot be vetoed by the governor. State legislative redistricting must take place in the first regular legislative session following the United States Census. There are no explicit deadlines in place for congressional redistricting.[37]
State law establishes the following requirements for state legislative districts:[37]
- Districts must be contiguous and compact.
- Districts "must cross county lines as little as possible." If counties are grouped together, the group should include as few counties as possible.
- Communities of interest should be taken into account.
There are no similar restrictions in place regarding congressional districts.[37]
2020
State legislative maps enacted in 2023
On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new legislative district boundaries.[3] The legislation adopting the new Senate districts passed the State Senate by a vote of 28-17 and the State House by a vote of 63-40.[38] The legislation adopting the new House districts passed the State Senate by a vote of 27-17 and the State House by a vote of 62-44.[39] All four votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.[40][41][42][43] WUNC's Rusty Jacobs wrote that Catawba College Prof. Michael "Bitzer said Republicans have drawn maps that have a strong chance of preserving their veto-proof super majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Bitzer noted that constitutional provisions, like requiring legislators to keep counties whole when drawing state legislative districts, make it more difficult for lawmakers to gerrymander these maps more aggressively."[44]
The state redrew its district boundaries after the state supreme court overturned its 2022 decision that North Carolina's enacted congressional and legislative maps were unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering.
As a result of state supreme court elections in 2022, the court flipped from a 4-3 Democratic majority to a 5-2 Republican majority. In its ruling, the court said, "we hold that partisan gerrymandering claims present a political question that is nonjusticiable under the North Carolina Constitution. Accordingly, the decision of this Court in Harper I is overruled. We affirm the three judge panel’s 11 January 2022 Judgment concluding, inter alia, that partisan gerrymandering claims are nonjusticiable, political questions and dismissing all of plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice."Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many
Reactions to 2023 state legislative maps
The Carolina Journal's Alex Baltzegar reported that "The John Locke Foundation recently released its annual Civitas Partisan Index scores for the legislative maps, which found there to be 28 Republican-leaning seats, 17 Democrat-leaning seats, and five toss-ups in the state Senate map."[3] Baltzegar also reported that "The new state House map would yield approximately 69 Republican and 48 Democratic seats, with three being in the swing category, according to Civitas’ CPI ratings. However, state House districts are smaller, and political outcomes vary to a higher degree. Many of the “lean” Republican or Democrat seats could be won by either party, and political shifts and trends will influence certain districts in the future."[3]
State Rep. Tim Longest (D) said, “This map secures more Republican seats than 100,000 randomly generated maps. That is unexplainable by geography, deliberately designed to maximize advantage."[45]
WUNC's Rusty Jacobs wrote that "Republican Sen. Ralph Hise, a co-chair of the Senate's redistricting committee, maintained that the maps were drawn applying traditional redistricting criteria, such as maintaining equal population across districts and minimizing the splitting of municipalities and precincts."[46]
State Senate map
Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Carolina’s 2024 state legislative elections.
North Carolina State Senate Districts
before 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
North Carolina State Senate Districts
after 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
State House map
Below is the state House map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Carolina’s 2024 state legislative elections.
North Carolina State House Districts
before 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
North Carolina State House Districts
after 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
State legislative maps enacted in 2021-2022
On April 28, 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned their February 4, 2022, decision that the state's enacted congressional and legislative maps were unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering and vacated both the maps the legislature enacted in 2021 and the remedial maps used for the 2022 elections.[47] In its ruling, the court said, "we hold that partisan gerrymandering claims present a political question that is nonjusticiable under the North Carolina Constitution. Accordingly, the decision of this Court in Harper I is overruled. We affirm the three judge panel’s 11 January 2022 Judgment concluding, inter alia, that partisan gerrymandering claims are nonjusticiable, political questions and dismissing all of plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice."Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many
The Court's order also said that the legislature's original 2021 maps were developed based on incorrect criteria and ruled that the General Assembly should develop new congressional and legislative boundaries to be used starting with the 2024 elections: "Just as this Court’s Harper I decision forced the General Assembly to draw the 2022 Plans under a mistaken interpretation of our constitution, the Lewis order forced the General Assembly to draw the 2021 Plans under the same mistaken interpretation of our constitution...The General Assembly shall have the opportunity to enact a new set of legislative and congressional redistricting plans, guided by federal law, the objective constraints in Article II, Sections 3 and 5, and this opinion. 'When established' in accordance with a proper understanding of the North Carolina Constitution, the new legislative plans “shall remain unaltered until the return of” the next decennial census."Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many
On February 23, 2022, the Wake County Superior Court approved legislative maps that the General Assembly redrew after the North Carolina Supreme Court issued a 4-3 opinion on February 4, 2022, saying the state's enacted legislative maps violated the state constitution.[48] The state house map was approved by the North Carolina House of Representatives in a 115-5 vote on February 16, and by the North Carolina State Senate in a 41-3 on February 17. The state Senate map was approved by the state Senate in a 26-19 vote, and by the state House in a 67-52 vote on February 17.[49][50] These maps were used for North Carolina's 2022 legislative elections.
On November 4, the North Carolina General Assembly originally voted to enact legislative maps. The house map passed the North Carolina House of Representatives 67-49 on November 2, and the North Carolina State Senate 25-21 on November 4.[51] The senate map passed the North Carolina State Senate 26-19 on November 3 and the North Carolina House of Representatives 65-49 on Nov. 4.[52]
Reactions to 2021-2022 state legislative maps
Regarding the first set of maps approved by the General Assembly in November, the Rep. Destin Hall (R), chair of the House Redistricting Committee, said: "This is the most transparent process in the history of this state. We voluntarily chose to be out in public and not use election data, even though by law we didn't have to do that. We chose to do that because that's the right thing to do."[53] Sen. Ralph Hise (R), co-chairman of the Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee, said: "I feel that we have complied with the law" in drawing the maps.[54] Rep. Kandie Smith (D) criticized the maps, saying: "People don't want gerrymandering. That's what we have, People don't want us packing. That's what we're doing. People don't want us to separate people with the same interest. That's what we're doing."[53] Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D) said: "Is it going to come down to litigation being filed? Yes — and what the courts have to say about it."[54]
Following the enactment of the redrawn legislative maps, Governor Roy Cooper (D) issued a statement saying, "Today’s decision allows a blatantly unfair and unconstitutional State Senate map that may have been the worst of the bunch. Our elections should not go forward until we have fair, constitutional maps."[55] State Senator Phil Berger (R) said, "The General Assembly’s remedial legislative map met all of the court-mandated tests and were constitutionally compliant. A bipartisan panel of Special Masters affirmed that. We’re thankful for the trial court’s ruling today."[56]
2010
Following the 2010 United States Census, North Carolina neither gained nor lost congressional seats. In 2010, Republicans won control of both chambers of the state legislature. Consequently, Republicans dominated the 2010 redistricting process.[57]
On July 27, 2011, the General Assembly of North Carolina approved congressional and state legislative redistricting plans.[57]
On November 1, 2011, the United States Department of Justice precleared these plans. The legislature made technical corrections to the new congressional and state legislative district maps on November 7, 2011. The U.S. Department of Justice precleared the amended maps on December 8, 2011.[37]
According to The Almanac of American Politics, following the 2012 election, the first to take place under the new maps, Democrats won four of the state's 13 congressional seats, although they "won a majority of the state's votes in House races."[57]
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
North Carolina State Senate: From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the North Carolina State Senate for the first 19 years while the Republicans were the majority for the last three years. The North Carolina State Senate is 1 of 16 state senates that was Democratic for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. The final three years of the study depicted a shift in the North Carolina senate with the final year being a Republican trifecta.
Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.
North Carolina State House of Representatives: From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the North Carolina State House of Representatives for 15 years while the Republicans were the majority for seven years. The final three years of the study depicted a shift from Democrat to Republican control in the North Carolina House with the final year being a Republican trifecta.
Across the country, there were 577 Democratic and 483 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of North Carolina, the North Carolina State Senate and the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
.PNG)
SQLI and partisanship
- To read the full report on the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI) in PDF form, click here.
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the North Carolina state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. During the years of the study, North Carolina experienced many years under a Democratic trifecta, from 1993-1994 and from 1999-2010. In 2013, however, this trend switched, and the state experienced a Republican trifecta instead. North Carolina's SQLI rating was in the 30s for most of the years of the study, with its lowest ranking in 2003, finishing 41st. However, in more recent years of the study, the state's ranking improved. Its highest ranking was 11th in 2011 during a divided government.
- SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 30.08
- SQLI average with Republican trifecta: N/A
- SQLI average with divided government: 30.89
Noteworthy events
Conflicts with Gov. Roy Cooper
The 2016 election changed the political landscape of North Carolina. Before the election, Republicans held a state government trifecta, meaning they controlled the governor's office and both chambers of the legislature. As a result of the 2016 election, however, Democrats took control of the governor's office, while Republicans held a 35-15 majority in the Senate and a 74-46 majority in the House, giving them the three-fifths majority needed in each chamber to override gubernatorial vetoes. In losing the 2016 election, incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory (R) became the first North Carolina governor in North Carolina history to lose in a bid for re-election. He was defeated by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) by 10,263 votes. McCrory did not concede the race until almost a month after the election. He requested a recount since unofficial vote totals had him within 10,000 votes of Cooper.[58]
Following McCrory's concession, conflicts began to emerge between Cooper and the General Assembly of North Carolina. Before Cooper (D) was sworn in, the Republican-controlled legislature began passing legislation that Democrats argued was intended to curtail the governor's power. Legislation included efforts to restructure the state board of elections, to require Senate approval of cabinet-level appointments, and to decrease the number of governor-appointed judges on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue (D) said of the legislation, "What we’re dealing with is a political disaster. Let’s deal with the reality: It’s a power grab. If McCrory had won the election, we wouldn’t be here now, reducing the number of positions he has control over."[59] Cooper said that the legislation had been "unconstitutional and anything but bipartisan."[60]
Republicans maintained that the legislation had been discussed for years and that it was returning power to the legislature that was taken away by Democrats years before.[61] Sen. Chad Barefoot (R) said the legislation returned "power that was grabbed during Democratic administrations in the 1990s, and some in the '70s."[62] Republican Rep. David Lewis said of the legislation, "I think, to be candid with you, that you will see the General Assembly look to reassert its constitutional authority in areas that may have been previously delegated to the executive branch."[63]
| Fact checks: | |
|---|---|
| • Did recent bills limit North Carolina's gubernatorial powers? | |
| • Did the North Carolina legislature eliminate state supreme court oversight of the General Assembly? | |
The following timeline details some of the conflicts between Gov. Roy Cooper (D) and the General Assembly of North Carolina during Cooper's first two years in office. Some legislation highlighted in the timeline are bills that Cooper said were intended to undermine his authority as governor.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods in which the North Carolina Constitution can be amended:
The North Carolina Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. North Carolina requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
Legislature
A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the North Carolina General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 72 votes in the North Carolina House of Representatives and 30 votes in the North Carolina State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According to Article XIII of the North Carolina Constitution, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote vote of both chambers of state Legislature is required to place a constitutional convention question on the ballot. A simple majority vote is required for voters to approve the question. Any amendments proposed by a constitutional convention also require voter approval.
2025 measures:
- See also: 2025 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures were certified for the ballot.
No measures to list
2024 measures:
Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature.
- See also: North Carolina 2024 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures were certified for the ballot.
| North Carolina Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment | Democrats | Republicans | |||
| Senate: | Required: 30 | Yes votes: 40 (80.0%) | No votes: 4 (8.0%) | Yes: 10; No: 4 | Yes: 30; No: 0 |
| House: | Required: 72 | Yes votes: 99 (82.5%) | No votes: 12 (10.0%) | Yes: 32; No: 12 | Yes: 67; No: 0 |
See also
| Elections | North Carolina State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
External links
- General Assembly of North Carolina
- North Carolina State Senate
- North Carolina House of Representatives
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Personal communication with the North Carolina Legislative Library staff," May 9, 2019.
- ↑ NCPedia, "Capitals, Colonial and State," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Carolina Journal, "New state House, Senate, and congressional maps finalized," October 25, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Bill 758 / SL 2023-146," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Bill 898 / SL 2023-149," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #614," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #499," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #504," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #604," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ WUNC, "New district maps show signs of GOP partisan gerrymandering," October 24, 2023
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement, "Candidate Filing Information," accessed November 9, 2017
- ↑ Mecklenburg County Government, "Multi Year Election Schedule," accessed November 9, 2017
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement, "Candidate Filing Information," accessed November 9, 2017
- ↑ Mecklenburg County Government, "Multi Year Election Schedule," accessed November 9, 2017
- ↑ The primary for U.S. congressional elections was rescheduled to June 7, 2016, following legal challenges to North Carolina's district maps. State races were unaffected.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 Candidate Filing," archived January 19, 2016
- ↑ The primary for U.S. congressional elections was rescheduled to June 7, 2016, following legal challenges to North Carolina's district maps. State races were unaffected.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 Candidate Filing," accessed December 22, 2015
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "N.C. Gen. Stat. 120-11.1," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑ MultiState, "2017 Legislative Session Deadlines," accessed August 8, 2017
- ↑ wncn.com, "NC special session reviews proposed new Congressional districts," accessed February 18, 2016
- ↑ newsobserver.com, "NC lawmakers heading for special session Wednesday to discuss LGBT ordinance," accessed March 23, 2016
- ↑ sfchronicle.com, "North Carolina reins in local governments, transgender rule," accessed March 23, 2016
- ↑ newsobserver.com, "LGBT protections end as NC governor signs bill," accessed March 24, 2016
- ↑ NY Times, "Bathroom Law Repeal Leaves Few Pleased in North Carolina," March 30, 2017
- ↑ www.fayobserver.com, "State lawmakers have no plans to extend Medicaid in North Carolina," January 21, 2015
- ↑ www.jeffersonpost.com, "State legislature reconvenes for short session," accessed May 16, 2014
- ↑ WRAL, "Ceremony marks opening of legislative session," January 9, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Associated Press, "N.C. lawmakers leave town after new maps, overrides," accessed July 14, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed July 14, 2014(Archived)
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ North Carolina Constitution, "Article II, Section 9," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑ Confirmed via email with the North Carolina Legislature on July 7, 2011
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 All About Redistricting, "North Carolina," accessed April 20, 2015
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Bill 758 / SL 2023-146," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Bill 898 / SL 2023-149," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #614," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #499," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #504," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #604," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ WUNC, "New district maps show signs of GOP partisan gerrymandering," October 24, 2023
- ↑ Courthouse News Service, "North Carolina redistricting cements GOP control of Legislature," October 25, 2023
- ↑ WUNC, "New district maps show signs of GOP partisan gerrymandering," October 24, 2023
- ↑ The New York Times, "North Carolina Court, With New Partisan Mix, Reverses Itself on a Key Voting Case," April 28, 2023
- ↑ Supreme Court of North Carolina, Harper v. Hall, February 4, 2022
- ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "HB 980," accessed February 17, 2022
- ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "SB 744," accessed February 17, 2022
- ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "House Bill 976 / SL 2021-175," accessed November 5, 2021
- ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "Senate Bill 739 / SL 2021-173," accessed November 5, 2021
- ↑ 53.0 53.1 ABC 11, "Republican-led General Assembly approves new congressional maps for NC that could heavily favor GOP," November 4, 2021
- ↑ 54.0 54.1 Richmond County Daily Journal, "NC legislators finalize redistricting maps," November 5, 2021
- ↑ North Carolina Office of the Governor, "Governor Cooper Statement on Redistricting Case," February 23, 2022
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedfox8 - ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 Barone, M. & McCutcheon, C. (2013). The almanac of American politics 2014 : the senators, the representatives and the governors : their records and election results, their states and districts. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
- ↑ Politico, "North Carolina governor alleges voter fraud in bid to hang on," November 21, 2016
- ↑ The Atlantic, "North Carolina's 'Legislative Coup' Is Over, and Republicans Won," December 16, 2016
- ↑ Twitter, "Roy Cooper," December 30, 2016
- ↑ USA Today, "GOP N.C. governor signs bill curbing Democrat successor's power," December 17, 2016
- ↑ NY Times, "North Carolina Governor Signs Law Limiting Successor’s Power," December 16, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "NC's GOP governor signs bill curbing successor's power," December 30, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "NC governor vetoes bill allowing a new primary in disputed House race," December 21, 2018
| |||||||||||
 |
State of North Carolina Raleigh (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2024 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
