RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina state senator who helped lead a powerful committee has resigned days after the General Assembly completed this year’s primary work session.
The resignation of Republican Sen. Jim Perry of Lenoir County was effective Tuesday, according to a letter he sent Monday to the Senate Principal Clerk’s Office.
Perry, who was a co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and a majority whip, already was not seeking Senate reelection this fall. And he delivered a farewell address to his colleagues on the Senate floor last Thursday.
Perry was appointed to the Senate in early 2019, replacing the retiring Sen. Louis Pate. He’s represented Beaufort, Craven and Lenoir counties.
“It is a special privilege to serve in the North Carolina Senate,” Perry wrote Monday. “I am appreciative of those who sacrificed their time to help me to gain a little more knowledge on each day of this journey.”
Perry announced last December that he wouldn’t run, saying he couldn’t make the time commitment necessary to be an effective senator for another two-year term.
“I am entering a season of life where I will need more time to support those closest to me,” he said at the time.
Republican activists in Perry’s 2nd Senate District will choose someone to fill his seat for the remainder of his term through the end of the year. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is obliged by state law to appoint their choice.
Republican Bob Brinson and Democrat Charles Dudley already are running in November for the same Senate seat in the heavily GOP area, although it will be renamed the 3rd District.
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Senator Jim Perry, a key figure in the North Carolina State Legislature, has officially stepped down from his position after the conclusion of this year’s primary legislative session. His resignation, communicated in a letter to the Senate Principal Clerk’s Office and effective immediately, marks the end of his tenure. Perry, a Republican representative from Lenoir County, held prominent roles as the co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee and a majority whip. Despite not seeking re-election this coming fall, he bid farewell to his fellow senators during a session last Thursday.
Assuming office in 2019 following the retirement of Sen. Louis Pate, Perry served the counties of Beaufort, Craven, and Lenoir. Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to serve, Perry acknowledged the support he received during his time in the Senate. Last December, Perry had announced his decision not to seek another term, citing the need to dedicate more time to his personal life and family commitments, recognizing the demands of the senatorial role.
With Perry’s departure, the responsibility falls upon Republican activists in the 2nd Senate District to select an interim replacement to fulfill the remainder of his term until the year’s end. Per state law, Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is required to approve the chosen candidate. Additionally, the upcoming November elections will witness Republican Bob Brinson and Democrat Charles Dudley vying for the Senate seat in what is now deemed the 3rd District, amidst the area’s predominantly Republican voter base.
