When the 118th Congress is sworn in on January 3rd, North Carolina’s delegation will have six new faces. In the upper chamber, Republican Ted Budd won a six-year term when he defeated Cheri Beasley and now takes over for Richard Burr, who retired after 30 years in Congress.
Over in the House, there are five new representatives: Democrat Valerie Foushee takes over for the retired David Price in a Durham-anchored district; Don Davis fills the shoes of G.K. Butterfield in a northeastern seat; and Republican Chuck Edwards soon serves a mountainous constituency after voters repudiated Madison Cawthorn during the May primary.
Meanwhile, Democrat Wiley Nickel won a newly drawn open seat that includes southern Wake County, and Jeff Jackson is the newest Congressman from Mecklenburg County. Interestingly all five of the new U.S. House reps emerged from the state Senate, where they previously served as colleagues.
As Congress reconvenes, with Republicans holding a narrow advantage in the House and Democrats owning a slight edge in the Senate, it remains an open question whether functionality can break through gridlock.
One name to keep an ear out for is Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry, entering his 10th term on the Hill. He will oversee the House Financial Services Committee — a powerful post that addresses banking, financial markets and monetary policy. Another is Richard Hudson, a fellow Republican, set to chair the National Republican Congressional Committee — a powerful leadership position that works to get Republicans elected to Congress.
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