Rep. Destin Hall to be NC’s next Speaker of the House | Eastern NC Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal. The author of this post is Brianna Kraemer.

    After a prolonged morning of leadership elections, the Republican caucus of the North Carolina House of Representatives affirmed by acclimation Rep. Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, to lead the chamber as the Speaker of the House for the next biennium. Leadership roles in the NC House will be made official by chamber votes when the new legislature convenes in January.

    Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, is leaving the North Carolina House after winning his election bid for the US House. At 37 years old, Hall, the only candidate running for the position, will replace Moore in one of the highest roles in state government as the youngest of House speakers in modern history.

    During the Tuesday afternoon press conference -hosted two hours after the caucus's original schedule - Hall told reporters that the caucus is unified and ready for a great long session starting in January that will continue Republicans' efforts over the last 14 years.

    "It starts with priority one, of course, jobs and the economy. We've seen the devastating impacts of the Biden-Harris inflation across the country. But also in North Carolina, you've seen us cut taxes session after session to try to relieve some of those things to the citizens of our state," explained Hall. "And you're going to see us work with the Trump Administration to do all we can to lower inflation in North Carolina. We're going to continue to focus on public safety, making sure that our streets are safe, making sure that people feel safe."

    Hall outlined other key leadership appointments for the upcoming legislative session that will help shape the direction of the House as lawmakers prepare to address the state's legislative agenda.

    Rep. John Bell, R-Wayne, will take on the role of Rules Chair, one of the most influential positions in the House. As Rules Chair, Bell will help determine which bills are brought forward and guide the management of legislative sessions.

    Representative Brenden Jones, R-Robeson, has been appointed Majority Leader, responsible for leading the majority party's legislative strategy. Rep. Karl Gillespie, R-Graham, was re-elected as House Whip, tasked with securing votes for key legislation. Rep. Steve Tyson, R-Craven, will fill the role of deputy majority leader, while Mitchell Setzer has been named speaker pro tem, stepping in for the Speaker when necessary.

    Rep. Matthew Winslow, R-Franklin, and Rep. Jeff Zenger, R-Forsyth, will serve as conference co-chairs of the caucus. Rep. Harry Warren, R-Warren, will act as the Caucus Joint Liaison with the Senate, facilitating cooperation between the two chambers.

    The Freshman Class will also be represented in leadership, with Heather Rhyne, R-Lincoln, appointed as Freshman Leader and Blair Eddins, R-Wilkes, as Freshman Whip, ensuring that the new members are actively involved in shaping House decisions.

    Republican leadership emphasized unity within the caucus and readiness to face the challenges of the new session. The General Assembly continues to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday to pass additional legislation as the current session soon comes to a close.