RALEIGH, N.C. — Dan Blue, a significant figure in North Carolina’s political landscape for over four decades, will step down as the leader of the state Senate Democrats after a remarkable decade in the role. The Senate Democratic Caucus has chosen Sen. Sydney Batch, a fellow Raleigh-area legislator, as the new minority leader as North Carolina prepares for the upcoming two-year legislative session.
The caucus announced Batch’s election in a news release on Monday following a private meeting. Batch, an attorney specializing in family law who has been part of the General Assembly since 2019, takes over from Blue, who expressed his intention to not seek another term before the leadership election took place.
“I am excited to pass the torch into the capable hands of Senator Batch,” Blue stated in the release, which did not provide specific details about the voting process.
At 75, Blue’s political career began in 1981 when he was first elected to the legislature as a member of the House. A decade later, he made history by becoming North Carolina’s first and only Black House speaker, serving in that capacity for four years before the Republicans regained control of the chamber.
After a failed bid for the U.S. Senate in 2002, Blue returned to the House in 2006 and transitioned to the Senate in 2009, filling two separate vacancies. In early 2014, he was chosen to be the minority leader after then-Sen. Martin Nesbitt was forced to step down due to illness, which ultimately led to Nesbitt’s passing just days later.
During his tenure as minority leader, Blue faced the challenging task of effectively opposing the Republican majority, which has maintained control of the Senate since 2011. Throughout his time in this role, particularly during 2023 and into 2024, GOP members have held veto-proof majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly.
Batch, while highlighting the “new chapter” in caucus leadership, commended Blue for utilizing his vast experience from his historic leadership roles in both chambers to advocate for the people of North Carolina.
Recently re-elected to represent a Wake County Senate seat last month, Blue did not immediately respond to requests for comments on his new role.
As the next legislative session begins in January, Republicans will maintain a strong presence with at least 30 out of 50 Senate seats. However, there may be a slight shift in dynamics in the House, where Republicans are poised to lose their veto-proof majority, potentially empowering Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein and his partners in the legislature.
Batch, who previously served in the House from 2018 until a reelection defeat in 2020, returned to the Senate in 2021 after filling a vacancy and successfully gained election again in both 2022 and most recently in November. A breast cancer survivor, Batch has been vocal about health care issues and support for abortion rights.
In her new role, Batch emphasized that the Democratic caucus is committed to creating a North Carolina where residents have the opportunity to achieve the lives they desire for their families and themselves, and she expressed readiness to steer the state back on a positive trajectory.
On the same day, the Senate Democratic Caucus also re-elected Sen. Jay Chaudhuri of Wake County as the minority whip. In addition, the House Democratic Caucus re-elected Rep. Robert Reives from Chatham County to another term as minority leader. Reives, who joined the House in early 2014, took over the role of Democratic leader after the 2020 elections, succeeding former Rep. Darren Jackson.
