A political upset dominated headlines in North Carolina as a mainstay in the state General Assembly served his last day in office.
Just a few days after the first work session of this year's General Assembly came to a close, the state senator from North Carolina who was instrumental in the leadership of a prominent committee took his resignation, as The Associated Press reported.
According to a letter that Senator Jim Perry, a Republican from Lenoir County, sent to the Senate Principal Clerk's Office on Monday, his resignation became effective on Tuesday.
In the fall of 2018, Perry, who had previously served as a majority whip and co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, had already decided not to run for reelection to the Senate.
Additionally, on Thursday of last week, he made his goodbye address to his fellow senators on the floor of the Senate.
Perry was appointed to the Senate at the beginning of 2019, succeeding Senator Louis Pate, who was retiring from his position. The counties of Beaufort, Craven, and Lenoir have all been represented by him.
“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 made the announcement in December of last year that he would not be running for reelection, stating that he was unable to effectively fulfill the time commitment required to serve as a 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 select a candidate to take his seat for the balance of his tenure, which will begin at the beginning of this year and expire a year later.
The law of the state requires Democratic Governor Roy Cooper to nominate the individual of their choosing.
Although the district will be renamed the 3rd District, Republican Bob Brinson and Democrat Charles Dudley are already vying for the same Senate seat in the predominantly Republican territory in the November election.
While the state of North Carolina might be awaiting the results of District 3's November election, the nation is waiting to see not just who will take the White House but also the balance of power in the House and Senate.
Currently, a razor-thin majority in the House has Republicans with the majority, and Democrats find themselves in the same position in the Senate. Projections about the upcoming election are still controversial about who will hold the controlling power in Washington in 2024 for the 119th Congress.
