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81-521: The foundation uses the funds for projects that show the most potential for strengthening North Carolina's long-term economy, especially in communities that have been tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and rural communities. Golden LEAF's grantmaking, estimated at $ 10 million per year, has been focused in the areas of agriculture, economic development and workforce preparedness. Educational assistance projects that complemented these priority areas also have been supported. The foundation's 15-member board

162-601: A citizen of the United States for at least five years and a resident of North Carolina for at least two years preceding election. The governor is elected every four years in increments proceeding from the year 1972. They serve for a four-year term and continue in office until their successor has sworn in. Contested elections for the office of governor are resolved by a majority vote of the General Assembly. The governor's term of office begins on January 1 of

243-483: A "State of the State" speech delivered during the legislature's opening session, though they can also communicate this information through separate special messages. The governor signs bills passed by the General Assembly of which they approve into law and are empowered to veto bills of which they disapprove. A veto can be overridden by a three-fifths majority vote of the assembly. Legislation can also take effect without

324-523: A deputy governor was appointed to administer the northern half of Carolina (Albemarle province) in 1691. In 1712, the two provinces became separate colonies, the colony of North Carolina (formerly Albemarle province) and the colony of South Carolina (formerly Clarendon province). Carolina was the first of three colonies in North America settled by the English to have a comprehensive plan. Known as

405-593: A new constitution which extended the governor's term of office to four years but limited the holder to one term. Under the 1868 constitution, the governor's executive power was derived from the following provision: "The executive department shall consist of a governor, in whom shall be invested the supreme executive power of the State." The new constitution also granted the governor appointive powers, allowing them to appoint "all officers whose offices are established by this Constitution, or which shall be created by law, and whose appointments are not otherwise provided for" with

486-470: A patent to Sir Robert Heath for the lands south of 36 degrees and north of 31 degrees , "under the name, in honor of that king, of Carolana ." Heath wanted the land for French Huguenots , but when Charles restricted use of the land to members of the Church of England , Heath assigned his grant to George, Lord Berkeley. King Charles I was executed in 1649 and Heath fled to France where he died. Following

567-612: A powerful council, on which half of the councilors were appointed by the Lords Proprietors themselves, and a relatively weak, popularly elected assembly. In 1665, the charter was revised slightly (see Royal Colonial Boundary of 1665 ), with the northerly boundary extended to 36 degrees 30 minutes north to include the lands of settlers along the Albemarle Sound who had left the Virginia Colony . Likewise,

648-483: A prominent elected official, the governor enjoys media attention and high levels of public recognition and wields agenda-setting authority and the ability to influence public opinion. Between 1877 and 1972 all of North Carolina's governors were Democrats, with the exception of Republican Daniel L. Russell , who won a single term to office in 1896. As Republican strength grew in North Carolina after 1950,

729-516: A rural North Carolinian environment, about 50 years of age, politically experienced, attorneys, and college educated. Bev Perdue , elected in 2008, was the first woman to serve as governor of North Carolina. As in other states, incumbents tend to win reelection. Jim Hunt was the state's longest-serving governor with four terms in office, serving from 1977 to 1985 and 1993 to 2001. North Carolina's governor has less overall institutional power compared to governors in other states. Their veto power

810-727: A second short-lived English settlement on the Cape Fear River , near present-day Wilmington, North Carolina , which he named Clarendon. From 1675 to 1677, the Province fought the Chowanoc Natives in the Chowanoc War . In 1669, William Sayle of Bermuda had taken over the command of the party of settlers gathered in Bermuda after Sir John Yeamans resigned while undergoing repairs of his vessel in Bermuda. Most of

891-552: A senior staff, which assist the governor in their management of the cabinet and offer advice in legislative matters. As of January 2024, the governor's office retains 68 employees under the terms of the State Human Resources Act. The governor appoints a legal counsel who advises the governor, their cabinet, and the Council of State. The counsel also provides advice regarding legal policy matters and investigates

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972-475: A six-year period. The constitution also provided for a legislatively-determined Council of State to "advise the Governor in the execution of his office". From its inception, the office of governor in North Carolina was weak in its powers, largely restricted out of fear of the actions taken by British colonial governors. In practice, the Council of State limited the governor's executive authority, as sometimes

1053-620: A sixty-mile-wide strip of land in North Carolina adjoining the Virginia boundary, which became known as the Granville District . This district was to become the scene of many disputes, from 1729 until the American Revolutionary War , at which time it was seized by the North Carolina revolutionary government. Governments under proprietary rule and under crown rule were similarly organized. The primary difference

1134-435: A weak governor with limited authority. Unlike most of their counterparts in the United States, the North Carolina governor lacks line-item veto power, while additional executive authority is vested in other elected officials on the Council of State. While the state has grown increasingly politically competitive since the mid-20th century, Republicans have had difficulty in winning gubernatorial elections in North Carolina, and

1215-473: Is appointed by the governor of North Carolina , the president pro tem of the state senate , and the speaker of the North Carolina House . The Golden LEAF Foundation's economic development efforts include an economic stimulus package, a biotech initiative, and, most recently, an aerospace alliance initiative. In November 1998, the attorneys general of 46 states signed an agreement with four of

1296-603: Is engaged in its proceedings, the impeached governor is temporarily suspended from their duties. A two-thirds affirmative vote of the senators present constitutes a conviction and thus removal and future disqualification from holding office. North Carolina's line of gubernatorial succession is by enumerated in Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution of North Carolina and General Statutes Section 147.11.1. The line of succession passes sequentially as follows: first to

1377-679: Is in the State Capitol , with additional office space located in the Administration Building. The offices in the Administration Building are scheduled to be temporarily relocated to the Albemarle Building before a new facility is erected adjacent to the governor's mansion. Regional offices are located in New Bern and Asheville to reach local governments and residents in the eastern and western portions of

1458-497: Is weaker than that of most of their contemporaries. It can be overridden by a three-fifths majority legislative vote, slimmer than the two-thirds majority usually required in most states. Unlike governors in most states, the North Carolina governor does not have line-item veto power. They are also prohibited from vetoing joint resolutions of the legislature, local bills, and amendments to the state and federal constitutions . The separate election of other state executive officials on

1539-595: The Caribbean from 1663 until the Carolinas were partitioned into North and South in 1712. The North American Carolina province consisted of all or parts of present-day Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. "Carolina" is taken from the Latin word for " Charles " ( Carolus ), honoring King Charles   I . On October 30, 1629, King Charles I of England granted

1620-517: The Grand Model , or Grand Modell, it was composed of a constitution and detailed guidelines for settlement and development. The constitution, titled Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina , was drafted by the philosopher John Locke under the direction of Anthony Ashley Cooper (later made Earl of Shaftesbury ). From 1708 to 1710, due to disquiet over attempts to establish the Anglican church in

1701-574: The Great Seal of the State North Carolina from the outgoing incumbent in a private meeting. The governor is limited to serving two consecutive terms in office, with no limits on nonconsecutive terms. In the event the governor-elect fails to qualify for their office, the lieutenant governor -elect becomes governor. The lieutenant governor is elected at the same time as the governor but on their own ticket . The powers and duties of

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1782-1093: The Lieutenant Governor , then the President pro tempore of the Senate , then the Speaker of the House of Representatives , then the Secretary of State , then the State Auditor , then the State Treasurer , then the Superintendent of Public Instruction , then the Attorney General , then the Commissioner of Agriculture , then the Commissioner of Labor , and finally the Commissioner of Insurance . The governor's office

1863-776: The North Carolina General Assembly . After 1731, the councilors were chosen by the Privy Council and were responsible to the British King, further diluting the governor's authority. During the period of royal control after 1731, North Carolina's governors were issued sets of secret instructions from the Privy Council's Board of Trade . The directives were binding upon the governor and dealt with nearly all aspects of colonial government. As they were produced by officials largely ignorant of

1944-460: The State Senate . The governor is empowered to appoint interim officials to any vacant Council of State offices aside from the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina without legislative assent pending the next state legislative election. They also may fill vacant judicial offices unless otherwise directed by law. Some appointments to state boards are reserved for other state officials, and

2025-609: The state constitution and by law. They serve as the North Carolina's chief executive and are tasked by the constitution with faithfully carrying out the laws of the state. They are ex officio commander in chief of the North Carolina National Guard and director of the state budget. The office has some powers of appointment of executive branch officials, some judges, and members of boards and commissions. Governors are also empowered to grant pardons and veto legislation. Historically, North Carolina has had

2106-582: The 1660 restoration of the monarchy , Robert Heath's heirs attempted to reassert their claim to the land, but Charles II ruled the claim invalid. Although the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island was the first English attempt at settlement in the Carolina territory, the first permanent English settlement was not established until the 1653 Albemarle Settlement , when emigrants from the Virginia Colony , with others from New England and Bermuda , settled at

2187-456: The 1708-1710 period as the establishment of separate colonies, but that did not officially occur until 1729 when seven of the Lords Proprietors sold their interests in Carolina to the Crown , and both North Carolina and South Carolina became royal colonies. The eighth share was Sir George Carteret's, which had passed to his great-grandson John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville . He retained ownership of

2268-485: The 1970s onward and the occurrence of divided government —when the party which controls the legislature is different from that of the governor's affiliation—have also weakened the chief executive's political effectiveness. Province of Carolina The Province of Carolina was a province of the Kingdom of England (1663–1707) and later the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America and

2349-405: The Council of State and their control over executive affairs within their own jurisdictions, as well as the General Assembly's ability to provide for some appointments to state offices, draws authority away from the governorship. By law, the governor requires the council's approval for certain acquisitions and disposals of state property. Increasing two-party competitiveness in North Carolina from

2430-666: The Lords Proprietor title to all of the land from the southern border of the Virginia Colony at 36 degrees north to 31 degrees north ; this included all the land between these northerly and southerly bounds from the Atlantic westward to the shores of the Pacific Ocean . The King intended for the newly created province to serve as an English bulwark to contest lands claimed by Spanish Florida and prevent their northward expansion . The Lords Proprietors named in

2511-419: The North Carolina constitution was amended, allowing governors to pursue re-election to a consecutive four-year term in office. This amendment strengthened the political authority of the office. Following a 1995 referendum resulting in a constitutional amendment effective the subsequent year, the governor was granted veto power, becoming the last governor in the country to be given this power. Mike Easley became

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2592-473: The Spanish, who inhabited Parris Island as late as 1655. The Spanish were again beaten back to Georgia. On March 24, 1663, Charles II issued a new charter to a group of eight English noblemen, granting them the land of Carolina as a reward for their faithful support of his efforts to regain the throne of England. The eight were called Lords Proprietors or simply Proprietors . The 1663 charter granted

2673-465: The State's Phase I funds. The Golden LEAF Foundation, so named because the tobacco plant has golden leaves after they have been cured, receives 50% of the Phase I funds and makes grants for economic development in tobacco dependent communities. The Health and Wellness Trust Fund, a State agency receives, 25% of the Phase I funds and makes grants for health-related programs. The remaining 25% is allocated to

2754-533: The Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. To date, Golden LEAF has received $ 706,546,189.63 in payments as a result of the tobacco settlement. Since it began making grants in 2001, Golden LEAF has awarded 667 grants totaling $ 246,767,918.22 to non-profit organizations and government entities throughout North Carolina. By 2025, it is anticipated the foundation will have received its full share, or approximately $ 2.3 billion, of payments resulting from

2835-549: The United States to ever be removed in such a fashion and is the only North Carolina governor to have ever been impeached. In 1875, the state held a convention which ratified several amendments to the constitution, including an alteration which removed the governor's ability to appoint officials who derived their offices' existence from state statutes. The governor was left with de jure responsibility over appointments for constitutional officers who did not have their appointments otherwise provided for, but as no such officers existed,

2916-460: The ability by majority vote to call the General Assembly into an extraordinary session to consider the governor's mental capacity. The General Assembly can declare the governor mentally incapable with a two-thirds majority vote on a joint resolution. The assembly is required to give the governor notice of this consideration and allow them to express their own opinion on their capacity before a vote. Aside from states of mental or physical incapacity,

2997-453: The advice and consent of the Senate. The Council of State was revised to include several other popularly-elected executive officials serving ex officio . Under the constitution, the governor called and presided over the council's meetings but was not a formal member of the body. In 1871, Governor William Woods Holden was impeached and removed from office. Holden was the first governor in

3078-582: The centralization of governmental services and the creation of appointive offices, thus increasing the authority and importance of the governorship. In 1933 the General Assembly approved a referendum to consider amending the constitution to grant the governor veto power over legislation, but the amendment effort failed due to technical concerns. In the 1950s and 1960s, several governors and other observers advocated constitutional reforms, including changes which would enhance governors' executive authority. These efforts culminated in legislative debates in 1970 and

3159-550: The changes essentially stripped governors of their appointive abilities. Following litigation in state courts over contested appointive jurisdiction in the late 19th century and early 20th century, several state governors called for the restoration of their appointive powers. In 1925, the Executive Budget Act was passed, designating the governor as the director of the state budget. During the tenure of Governor O. Max Gardner from 1929 to 1933, various reforms led to

3240-536: The charter were: Of the eight, the one who demonstrated the most active interest in Carolina was Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury. Shaftesbury, with the assistance of his secretary, the philosopher John Locke , drafted the Grand Model for the Province of Carolina (which included the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina ), a plan for government of the colony heavily influenced by the ideas of the English political scientist, James Harrington . Some of

3321-467: The colony operated more or less independently until 1691, when Philip Ludwell was appointed governor of the entire province. From that time until 1708, the northern and southern settlements remained under one government. The north continued to have its own assembly and council; the governor resided in Charles Towne and appointed a deputy-governor for the north. During this period, the two-halves of

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3402-468: The colony's lords proprietors . From then until 1774, the governors were chosen by the British Crown . The governors during these times were politically weak executives and generally conformed to the wishes of their appointers. They were aided in the execution of their office by the Governor's Council, an advisory board of appointed officials that also collectively served as the upper house in

3483-399: The constitution to reorganize executive agencies by executive order submitted to the General Assembly, which have "the force of law" unless expressly disapproved by the assembly. The constitution also makes them ex officio commander in chief of the North Carolina National Guard —except when the guard is placed into federal service —and authorizes them to call it into service "to execute

3564-443: The first North Carolina governor to veto legislation after rejecting a bill in 2002. While institutional enhancements increased the formal power of the governorship over the course of the 20th century, this was counteracted by a corresponding rise in the legislature's growing willingness to assert its separate desires in state policy. In 2018, the General Assembly significantly curtailed the number of appointments which could be made by

3645-501: The governor has the responsibility of monitoring revenue and expenditures to ensure the state maintains a balanced budget and preparing budget recommendations for the General Assembly, which can disregard the proposals in creating the state budget. The governor also administers grants and loans provided by the federal government to the state. The office has powers of appointment with regards to executive branch officials, some judges, and members of boards and commissions. As of 2024,

3726-588: The governor is responsible for 300 appointments. Most executive appointments are not subject to legislative consent and many appointees serve at the pleasure of the governor. Some appointments to major state boards, including the State Board of Education and the North Carolina Utilities Commission , require confirmation from either one or both houses of the General Assembly. Cabinet secretaries are subject to confirmation from

3807-468: The governor of North Carolina are derived from the Constitution of North Carolina and state statutes . The governor is the chief executive of the state and is tasked by the constitution with faithfully carrying out the laws of the state. The governor is empowered to request agency heads in state government to report to them in writing on subjects relating to executive duties. They are authorized by

3888-522: The governor was required to get their approval before taking a course of action. The governor had no power to make executive appointments except during legislative recesses and with the advice of the council. The Fifth Provincial Congress elected Richard Caswell to serve as the independent state's first governor pending legislative elections and the formation of the General Assembly. He was sworn in in January 1777. The General Assembly reelected him to

3969-447: The governor's ability to remove officials has been limited by courts. The constitution also allows the governor to devolve some responsibilities upon the lieutenant governor at their discretion. The governor is constitutionally obligated to "give the General Assembly information of the affairs of the State and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall deem expedient". Governors traditionally fulfill this requirement with

4050-459: The governor's acquisitions and disposals of state property. The governor is tasked by the constitution with keeping the Great Seal of the State North Carolina. The constitution empowers the governor to permit the state or a local government to incur a debt without a referendum in the event of an emergency threat to public health or safety. The governor is constitutionally required to live at

4131-646: The governor's salary is fixed by the General Assembly and cannot be reduced during their term of office. In 2023, the governor's annual salary was set at $ 198,120, but is set to increase to $ 203,073 in 2024. The secretaries which lead executive departments under the governor's purview collectively form the state cabinet. There are 11 cabinet-level departments: Administration , Adult Correction , Commerce , Environmental Quality , Health and Human Services , Information Technology , Military and Veterans Affairs , Natural and Cultural Resources , Public Safety , Revenue , and Transportation . The governor's office employs

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4212-547: The governor's signature if they chose not to veto it. The governor may call the General Assembly into extraordinary session after consulting the Council of State and is required to convene the assembly in specific circumstances to review vetoed legislation. The governor is one of 10 constitutionally-designated members of the Council of State, a collection of elected state executives, and chairs its meetings. The body has minimal constitutional duties, with its most significant responsibilities arising from statute, including approving

4293-496: The governor, dropping appointive roles from about 1,500 to 300. The incumbent governor is Roy Cooper , a Democrat who assumed office on January 1, 2017. He is the 75th person to hold the office. As with other state officials, only registered voters in North Carolina are eligible to be elected governor. Unlike most other candidates for statewide executive office, who must be at least 21 years of age, any potential governor must be at least 30 years of age. They must also have been

4374-427: The governors' main executive and legislative policy goals. The Education Policy Office does the same with a focus on educational matters. The Office of Constituent Services fields citizen inquires and correspondence. The Office of Citizen and Faith Outreach handles matters concerning minority groups and religion. The Legislative Affairs Office acts as a liaison between the governor and the General Assembly and reports on

4455-507: The governorship to complete the full term to which the original governor was elected. Constitutionally, physical incapacity can only be determined by the governor themselves; they may write to the North Carolina Attorney General that they are physically incapable of performing their duties. They can resume their duties after informing the attorney general that they are physically capable. The Council of State has

4536-580: The instructions—and the Assembly in the 1770s led the latter to establish a committee of correspondence and accelerated the colony's break with Great Britain. The state of North Carolina's first constitution in 1776—adopted by the Fifth Provincial Congress —provided for a governor to be elected by a joint vote of both houses of the General Assembly to serve a one-year term. They were limited to serving no more than three terms within

4617-569: The latter half of the 20th century, Democratic gubernatorial candidates have regularly outperformed their presidential counterparts. Republican gubernatorial candidates have generally attempted to link their efforts with Republican presidential campaigns, while Democratic candidates have usually placed more distance between themselves and their associated presidential contenders. As of 2024, all North Carolina governors have been white Christians. The vast majority of people who have been elected Governor of North Carolina have been male, born and raised in

4698-399: The law". They are empowered to grant pardons and commutations to convicted criminals and serve as the state's chief representative in intergovernmental matters. They are responsible for reviewing extradition requests from other states and issuing a governor's warrant to detain persons for extradition. The constitution makes the governor the director of the state budget. In this capacity,

4779-548: The merits of pardons and commutations. Requests for pardons and commutations are reviewed by the Clemency Office. The Office of State Budget and Management prepares the state budget and advises the governor on budgetary affairs. The Boards and Commissions Office advises the governor on their appointments. The Communications Office employs spokespersons for the governor and prepares press releases, speeches, and public events for them. The Policy Office crafts and considers

4860-571: The mouths of the Chowan and Roanoke Rivers , on the shores of Albemarle Sound , in the northeastern corner of present-day North Carolina. Within three generations of Columbus , the Spanish from their Florida base had started to emigrate up the coast of modern North Carolina. A Virginia tribe defending their resources and families drove them back to Georgia. A Scottish contingent had meanwhile settled in South Carolina only to be extirpated by

4941-611: The nation's largest cigarette manufacturers. This settlement is referred to as the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). The MSA commits these tobacco manufacturers to pay approximately $ 206 billion to the 46 states over the first 25 years of the agreement. Of that, North Carolina's share is estimated to be approximately $ 4.6 billion after 25 years. Money from the MSA is sometimes called "Phase I" money. The N.C. General Assembly created three different programs to distribute

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5022-608: The office has usually remained in Democratic hands. The current governor, Democrat Roy Cooper , took office on January 1, 2017. The office of governor is the oldest public office in the state of North Carolina. Historians trace its origins to the appointment of Ralph Lane as the governor of the Roanoke Colony in 1585. From 1622 to 1731, the Province of Carolina / Province of North Carolina had governors appointed by

5103-622: The only other constitutional reason to remove the governor is their commission of an impeachable offense. In the event that the governor is impeached by the North Carolina House of Representatives , the chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court presides over the court of impeachment. The court is composed of the State Senate, with a majority of its members serving as a quorum. While the court

5184-462: The other Lords Proprietors also had interests in other colonies: for instance, John Berkeley and George Carteret held stakes in the Province of New Jersey , and William Berkeley had an interest in Virginia . The Lords Proprietors, operating under their royal charter, were able to exercise their authority with nearly the independence of the king himself. The actual government consisted of a governor,

5265-411: The party was made up of emigrants from England who had arrived in Bermuda en route to the establishment of the settlement in the Carolinas. Sayle arrived in Carolina aboard a Bermuda sloop with a number of Bermudian families to found the town of Charlestown. In early 1670 the Lords Proprietors founded a sturdier new settlement named Charles Town (present day Charleston ) when they sent 150 colonists to

5346-523: The political situation in the colony and meant to ensure greater direct control over the territory, the instructions caused tensions between the governor and the General Assembly. The assembly controlled the colony's finances and used this as leverage by withholding salaries and appropriations, sometimes forcing the governors to compromise and disregard some of the Board of Trade's instructions. Frequent tensions between Governor Josiah Martin —a firm supporter of

5427-436: The progression of legislation. The Governmental Relations Office serves as a liaison between the state government, local governments, and the federal government. Governors usually informally serve as the state leader of whatever political party to which they belong. They often have the ability to influence the selection of other party leaders, offer endorsements to candidates, and serve as a spokesman for their organization. As

5508-403: The province began increasingly to be known as North Carolina and South Carolina. In 1669, the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina divided the colony of Carolina into two provinces, Albemarle province in the north and Clarendon province in the south. Due to dissent over the governance of the colony, and the distance between settlements in the northern half and settlements in the southern half,

5589-531: The province, landing them on the south bank of the Ashley River, South Carolina. (The town moved across the river to a more defensible site on the peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers in 1680. In 1670, William Sayle, then in his eighties, became the first Colonial Governor of the colony of Carolina . Many of the other colonists were planters from Barbados . The " Charles Town " settlement, as it

5670-656: The province, the people were unable to agree on a slate of elected officials; consequently, there was no recognized and legal government for more than two years, a period which culminated in Cary's Rebellion when the Lords Proprietors finally commissioned a new governor. This circumstance, coupled with the Tuscarora War and the Yamasee War , and the inability of the Lords Proprietors to act decisively, led to separate governments for North and South Carolina. Some identify

5751-411: The ratification of a new constitution the following year The new constitution of 1971 stipulated that "The executive power of the State shall be invested in the Governor", making the official unambiguously the chief executive of the state. The constitution also affirmed the governor's role as the director of the state budget and made them a formal ex officio member of the Council of State. In 1977,

5832-470: The role at its first session in April. In 1835, the constitution was amended to allow for the popular election of the governor to a two-year term, thus giving the office more political independence from the legislature. The holder of the office was restricted to no more than two terms within a six-year period. Edward Bishop Dudley became the first popularly-elected governor. In 1868, North Carolina ratified

5913-549: The seat of state government. Since 1891, the Executive Mansion in Raleigh has served as the official residence of the governor of North Carolina and their family. Governors and their immediate family—called the "first family" during the executive's tenure—serve as symbolic leaders for the state. As the ceremonial head of the state, the governor often attends official events and performs formal functions on behalf of

5994-618: The southern boundary was moved south to 29 degrees north , just south of present-day Daytona Beach, Florida , which had the effect of including the existing Spanish settlement at St. Augustine . In 1663, Captain William Hilton noted the presence of a wooden cross erected by the Spaniards that still stood before the town meeting house of the Indians living at what later became Port Royal . In 1665, Sir John Yeamans established

6075-518: The state's gubernatorial elections became increasingly competitive. In 1972, James Holshouser was elected as the state's first Republican governor of the 20th century. Even so, Republicans have still had difficulty in winning gubernatorial elections in North Carolina, and the office has usually remained in Democratic hands; since Russell's departure in 1901, 23 Democrats and three Republicans have been elected to gubernatorial office. Beginning in

6156-566: The state, respectively. The Asheville office also oversees management of the governor's western residence . Another office is maintained in Washington D.C. to serve as a liaison between North Carolina's government and both the state's congressional delegation and the federal government. They are provided with a security detail supplied by the North Carolina Highway Patrol . As with all Council of State officers,

6237-416: The state, such as meeting with important persons and leading ribbon-cutting ceremonies . In the event of the governor's absence from North Carolina, or their physical or mental incapacity, the lieutenant governor is tasked with serving as "Acting Governor". In the event of the governor's death, resignation, or removal, the lieutenant governor or whoever next available in the line of succession shall assume

6318-496: The tobacco settlement. Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina . Seventy-five people have held the office since its inception in 1776. The governor serves a term of four years and chairs the collective body of the state's elected executive officials, the Council of State . The governor's powers and responsibilities are prescribed by

6399-648: The year following their election, but they may not exercise the duties of the office until delivering and undersigning the oath or affirmation of office before a justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court . The oath, which is identical for all state officials, is prescribed by the Article VI Section 7 of the constitution. Since 1877, new governors have often sworn their oaths in public inaugural ceremonies which are accompanied by celebratory balls and parades. They typically receive

6480-549: Was known then, developed more rapidly than the Albemarle and Cape Fear settlements due to the advantages of a natural harbor and expanding trade with the West Indies . Charles Town was made the principal seat of government for the entire province; Lord Shaftesbury specified its street plan. The nearby Ashley and Cooper rivers are named for him. Due to their remoteness from each other, the northern and southern sections of

6561-596: Was who was to appoint the governing officials: the Lords Proprietors or the Sovereign. Although the division between the northern and southern governments became complete in 1712, both colonies remained in the hands of the same group of proprietors. A rebellion against the proprietors broke out in Charlestown, South Carolina (as it was now spelled) in 1719, which led to the appointment of a royal governor for South Carolina in that same year. North Carolina would become

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