Burgin Seeks Senate Leader Post as GOP Loses House

Harnett County Republican Jim Burgin asked Senate colleagues for support after the party lost control of the North Carolina House.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Legislative Policy

Burgin Seeks Senate Leader Post as GOP Loses House

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Sen. Jim Burgin, R-Harnett, sought the Senate Republican caucus nomination for Senate leader in a letter sent Wednesday. The request came a day after Republicans lost control of the North Carolina House for the first time since 2010.

Why it matters

With a Democratic governor, Josh Stein, and a Democratic-controlled House, Republicans will need to compromise to advance their agenda in North Carolina. The Senate balance remains unsettled, with control possibly hinging on a tie and a close race.

Republicans entered Tuesday's election with 30 Senate seats and led in 26 of 50 districts as of Wednesday morning, with a 25-25 split giving Democrats control via Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt's tiebreak. Sen. Danny Britt's narrow Robeson County lead could go to a recount and remains unresolved as provisional ballots are counted.

The players

Jim Burgin

A Harnett County Republican senator who has spoken against marijuana legalization and supports abortion restrictions, and who previously worked on bipartisan Medicaid expansion.

Josh Stein

The Democratic governor of North Carolina whose veto and policy power will shape the state's legislative agenda with Republicans controlling only the Senate.

Phil Berger

The longtime Senate leader who began leading the chamber in 2011 and lost his Republican primary to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page.

The details

Burgin asked fellow Senate Republicans for support in a letter to the caucus. Republicans lost Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger's primary to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, and Sen. Michael Lee of New Hanover County lost his reelection bid.

2010: Republicans last controlled the North Carolina House before losing it this year.
2011: Phil Berger began leading the Senate.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Election held; Berger lost his primary and Lee lost reelection.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026: Burgin sent his letter seeking the Senate leadership nomination.
Coming days: Provisional ballots will be counted, changing Britt's narrow margin.

Political Context

Republicans last controlled the North Carolina House in 2010, a span that ends with this election and shifts the state's power balance. The party's Senate leadership now faces a Democratic governor and a Democratic-controlled House for the first time in that period.

The shift means state laws will require bipartisan negotiation between Republicans and Democrats to pass in the coming session. Residents across North Carolina may see slower or altered action on policies that Republicans previously advanced unilaterally.

The takeaway

Divided control in Raleigh means major policy changes will depend on compromise, so watch how Senate Republicans choose their leader and how the close Senate races resolve.

What happens next

Provisional ballots will be counted in the coming days, which will settle Sen. Danny Britt's narrow margin in Robeson County and determine whether the Senate balance holds.