A Western North Carolina state representative is now responsible for making sure his Republican colleagues adhere to party principles.
Rep. Karl E. Gillespie (R-Macon) was elected to House Majority Whip in the North Carolina House of Representatives on August 16. He succeeds Greensboro Rep. Jon Hardister who is running for NC Labor Commissioner.
Gillespie is in his second term representing the 120th House District, which includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, and Macon Counties.
"I am deeply grateful and honored to have received the support of my colleagues for House Majority Whip,” Rep. Gillespie said in a press release. “This position reflects their confidence in my abilities as well as signifying the importance of having a voice from far western North Carolina in a leadership role. I remain steadfastly committed to representing my community’s needs and ensuring their concerns are heard at the highest levels of government.”
Gillespie won an uncontested race for his second term in 2022. In 2020, more than 50 percent of each of eight counties west of Asheville voted for former President Trump. All legislators west of Asheville are Republicans including those serving at the state and federal level.
Gillespie, who works as the founder and owner of National Communications Inc., served as Macon County Commissioner before moving to the legislature. He also farms family land outside of Franklin.
As the majority whip, Gillespie plays a key role in the political process of the state government. The whip’s primary responsibility is to count heads and round up party members for votes and quorum calls.
The term "whip" comes from a fox-hunting expression—"whipper-in"—referring to the member of the hunting team responsible for keeping the dogs from straying from the team during a chase, according to the U.S. Senate website.
In his first term, Gillespie said he was most proud of his work on the state budget, particularly teacher pay increases.
“Are teachers being paid enough? No, but, but we’re going in the right direction,” Gillespie told BPR in 2022. “I’ve said this as a county commissioner, and I've stated this from the House floor: thanks to the internet, our kids have to be able to compete in a global environment because the world is flat thanks to the internet.”
Republican legislators, who hold a supermajority in both the North Carolina House and Senate, have not yet finalized the state budget. Legislators originally planned for budget passage in July, but Republican leadership says the budget is not expected to pass until at least September. Some Democratic leaders claim the delay is due in part to lawmakers’ vacations.
