By JAYMIE BAXLEY || Insider Staff Writer
State Sen. Tom McInnis, whose district includes Moore and Cumberland counties, will continue to serve as one of the Republican party’s two whips in the North Carolina Senate.
His reelection to the position was announced following a vote Monday by the Senate Republican Caucus. McInnis, who handily won his fifth term in November’s general election, will serve as whip alongside Sen. Jim Perry of Lenoir.
“Sen. McInnis was an effective whip this past term, and helped us move important legislation forward,” Sen. Phil Berger, president pro tem of the GOP caucus, said in a statement. “I’m confident he will do a great job this upcoming term as well.”
A whip is a position that primarily is responsible for ensuring party members support certain legislation and keeping order within the caucus.
An auctioneer from Richmond County, McInnis was first elected in 2014 to represent District 25, which at the time included Richmond, Anson, Rowan, Scotland and Stanly counties. He successfully ran for reelection after the district was redrawn to include Moore County in 2018.
When the most recent round of redistricting placed Moore in District 21 with Cumberland County, McInnis decided to move to Pinehurst and run against Democrat Frank McNeill for the contested seat. He defeated McNeill with over 54 percent of the vote.
In a statement on Monday, McInnis said he was “incredibly thankful” to be reelected as whip.
“I’m honored to serve in this position and look forward to picking up where we left off, with legislation that has made North Carolina the best state in the country in which to do business,” he said.
While McInnis will continue to represent Moore in the Senate, the county has an all-new Republican delegation in the House for the first time in 14 years.
Rep. Allen McNeill, who did not run for reelection, is handing over the District 78 seat he has held since 2012 to Neal Jackson, the top vote-getter in the Nov. 8 midterm. Rep. Jamie Boles, the Aberdeen funeral home owner who has represented District 52 since 2008, lost his bid for reelection in May’s Republican primary to fellow Rep. Ben Moss of Richmond County.
Moore County gained a third representative through the redrawing of District 51, which for the past four years has belonged to John Sauls of Sanford. He secured a third consecutive term after fending off Democratic challenger Malcolm Hall of Carthage in the general election.
Jaymie Baxley can be reached at (910) 693-2484 or jaymie@thepilot.com
