The Senate Republican Caucus has chosen Sen. Michael Lee as its next Majority Leader.
The position opened last week when Paul Newton, a Cabarrus County Republican, abruptly resigned. Newton was later named general counsel at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Lee, who is serving his fifth term in the Senate, represents New Hanover County.
"It is an honor to have the support and trust of my colleagues. Our caucus is filled with incredible individuals who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the General Assembly," Lee said in a written statement.
The caucus elected Lee by acclamation, a form of voice vote when there is only one candidate running for a position.
"Michael works day in and day out to do the best for his constituents. He is someone every senator 鈥� Republican or Democrat 鈥� can turn to for advice and mentorship," Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, a Rockingham County Republican, said in a statement.
Majority leader is the , behind only Berger and Deputy President Pro Tempore Ralph Hise, a Spruce Pine Republican. Lt. Governor Rachel Hunt, a Democrat, is President of the Senate but is only able to vote in the event of a tie.
The Majority Leader presides over caucus meetings, where members discuss policy issues and upcoming votes, the Associated Press previously reported.
Before becoming Majority Leader, Lee already played a key role in the Senate. He was chairman of the Senate Appropriations/Base Budget and Education/Higher Education committees.
Lee has also joined Berger as a primary sponsor on high-profile bills this legislative session.
The Senate has already approved the bill the duo sponsored along with Sen. Brad Overcash earlier this session to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in public education. That legislation, Senate Bill 227, would from having DEI offices and from teaching students or requiring staff to attend trainings on what it defines as "divisive concepts" or "discriminatory practices."
"This legislation is not about stifling diversity or ignoring history; rather, it is about reinforcing the core American values of fairness, merit, and the right to independent thought. At its heart, this bill reflects the foundational belief enshrined in our state and national constitutions:鈥痑ll individuals are created equal," Lee wrote in a WHQR editorial .
Last week, Lee joined the Senate leader as primary sponsor of a bill that would give local school boards flexibility to begin their school year by the Monday before Aug. 19 instead of the Monday before Aug. 26.
The start date was set by a 2004 state law to protect the tourism industry, which Visit North Carolina reported in coastal New Hanover County in 2023. But a quarter of the state's school boards to start their school years earlier, in defiance of the state law.
