Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal. The author of this post is Theresa Opeka.
The nomination of John Lowery to take the place of his brother, Jarrod, in the North Carolina House of Representatives comes during what could be a pivotal time if Republicans want to override any vetoes from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.
Jarrod announced in September that he would resign from his role as a representative from House District 47 in Robeson County to join the Trump administration. This week, he announced that he would be taking a position at the US Department of the Interior as a senior adviser to the department's assistant secretary for Indian Affairs.
He was elected to his second term in the state House last fall.
In 2022, Jarrod flipped House District 47 from Democrat to Republican and said the Republican Party is offering voters access to the American Dream.
"The story of Robeson County's political realignment is a continuation of Democrats leaving working class people behind," Lowery told Carolina Journal in June.
"From their unfair trade policies to Bidenomics, they have crushed the American Dream for working people but the Republican Party is standing in the gap to not only protect liberty but to reinvigorate the American Dream for all people. I welcome the Commissioners to the Republican Party, I'm excited for the future!"
The Robeson County Republican Party Executive Committee appointed John to fill the vacancy. He is also the chairman of the Lumbee Tribe.
"I am thrilled to see John Lowery be selected as our next State Representative," said Dr. Phillip Stephens, chairman of the Robeson County Republican Party, in a press release.
"His years of experience serving in tribal, state, and federal government and delivering for the residents of Robeson County make him an exceptionally prepared choice. I look forward to seeing him serve out the remainder of Representative Lowery's term at the General Assembly."
The Robeson County Republican Party recommended the appointment to Stein on Tuesday, who has seven days to make the appointment before it takes effect.
The NC General Assembly is also slated to return to session on Oct. 20.
John Lowery is a graduate of UNC Pembroke, where he earned degrees in Political Science and American Indian Studies, and later obtained a Master of Public Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill. Lowery has worked as a teacher, in the US Department of Agriculture, in the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and on the Lumbee Tribal Council.
In addition to serving as the seventh chairman of the Lumbee Tribe, he also serves as the chair of the tribe's economic development arm, Lumbee Tribe Holdings, Inc.
pushing for federal recognition for lumbee tribe
In January, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum directing the Secretary of the Interior to submit a plan within 90 days to assist the Lumbee Tribe in obtaining full federal recognition.
Granting full federal recognition to the tribe based in Robeson County would provide them access to federal services and benefits. This includes health care through the Indian Health Service and eligibility for federal funding programs supporting housing, education, and economic development.
Earlier this year US Rep. David Rouzer, R-NC7, introduced the Lumbee Fairness Act (HR 474) in the 119th Congress, granting full federal recognition and benefits to the North Carolina tribe.
The memorandum signed by Trump claims
"Considering the Lumbee Tribe's historical and modern significance, it is the policy of the United States to support the full Federal recognition, including the authority to receive full Federal benefits."
In September, the US House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with an amendment giving the Lumbee Tribe full federal recognition. It has gone to the Senate for a vote.
The Lumbee Act of 1956 acknowledges the tribe's existence but blocked federal recognition.
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