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. By 1874, four African Americans, all Republicans, were in the body, in which Democrats had already regained a large majority of 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."
2025–26 composition
AffiliationParty (shading indicates majority caucus)TotalVacantRepublicanDemocraticEnd of (2021–22) legislature2822 500Beginning of previous (2023–24) legislature3020 500End of previous (2023–24) legislature3020 500Beginning of current (2025–26) legislature3020 500Latest voting share
Leadership
Membership DistrictNamePartyResidenceCountiesStart1stRepublican Bertie, Northampton, Hertford, Gates, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck, Tyrrell, Dare20262ndRepublicanMinnesott BeachWarren, Halifax, Martin, Chowan, Washington, Hyde, Pamlico, Carteret20123rdRepublicanNew BernLenoir, Craven, Beaufort20244thRepublicanWilson Wilson, Wayne, Greene2022 (2010–2016)5thDemocratic Greenville Edgecombe, Pitt20226thRepublicanJacksonvilleOnslow20207thRepublicanWilmington New Hanover (part)2020 (2014–2018)8thRepublicanSouthportColumbus, Brunswick, New Hanover (part)20109thRepublicanAutryville Bladen, Sampson (part), Pender, Duplin, Jones201010thRepublican Clayton Johnston202211thRepublican Spring Hope Vance, Franklin, Nash202012thRepublican AngierLee, Harnett, Sampson (part)201813thDemocratic Raleigh Wake (part)202214thDemocratic Raleigh Wake (part)200915thDemocratic Raleigh Wake (part)201616thDemocratic Cary Wake (part)202217thDemocratic Holly Springs Wake (part)202118thHaseeb FatmiDemocratic Wake ForestGranville, Wake (part)202619thDemocratic Fayetteville Cumberland (part)202220thDemocratic Durham Chatham, Durham (part)202021stRepublicanPinehurst Moore, Cumberland (part)201422ndDemocratic Durham Durham (part)202423rdDemocratic Chapel Hill Caswell, Person, Orange202624thRepublicanLumberton Hoke, Scotland, Robeson201625thRepublican Burlington Alamance, Randolph (part)202026thRepublicanEdenRockingham, Guilford (part)200027thDemocratic Greensboro Guilford (part)201828thDemocratic Greensboro Guilford (part)201029thRepublican Asheboro Randolph (part), Montgomery, Richmond, Anson, Union (part)202030thRepublican Lexington Davie, Davidson202031stRepublicanKernersvilleStokes, Forsyth (part)202432ndDemocraticWinston-Salem Forsyth (part)201533rdRepublicanChina Grove Rowan, Stanly201834thRepublican ConcordCabarrus (part)202535thRepublicanMonroeCabarrus (part), Union (part)201836thRepublicanElkin Alexander, Wilkes, Surry, Yadkin202237thRepublicanMooresvilleIredell, Mecklenburg (part)201838thDemocraticCharlotteMecklenburg (part)201839thDemocratic Charlotte Mecklenburg (part)202040thDemocratic Charlotte Mecklenburg (part)201441stDemocratic Charlotte Mecklenburg (part)202442ndDemocratic Charlotte Mecklenburg (part)202443rdRepublicanBelmont Gaston (part)202244thRepublicanShelbyCleveland, Lincoln, Gaston (part)201845thRepublican Conover Catawba, Caldwell (part)202446thRepublicanMorgantonBurke, McDowell, Buncombe (part)201047thRepublicanSpruce PineAlleghany, Ashe, Watauga, Caldwell (part), Avery, Mitchell, Yancey, Madison, Haywood (part)201048thRepublican Hendersonville Henderson, Polk, Rutherford202249thDemocratic Asheville Buncombe (part)202050thRepublicanFranklin Haywood (part), Transylvania, Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Cherokee, Clay2020
Past composition of the Senate
Coat of arms
See also North Carolina House of Representatives List of North Carolina state legislatures
Notes
References
External links
Project Vote Smart – State Senate of North Carolina