During his 12 years in the North Carolina House of Representatives, Robert Reives II has always operated in the minority party. While he’s had a Democratic governor to work with since 2017, both his chamber and the Senate have been dominated by the Republican Party and led with an iron fist.
Starting next year, though, that will not be the case.
Reives ran unopposed in the 2026 election cycle, breezing his way to a seventh full term representing District 54 — which covers all of Chatham County and part of Randolph County. But in contested races across the state, Democratic Party candidates flipped 24 Republican-held seats and are projected to hold 71 to start the 2027-28 session. Democrats are also one seat short in the Senate of completing the trifecta: having a supermajority in the General Assembly alongside Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.
“North Carolinians voted for change,” Reives said in a statement on Wednesday, “ending more than 15 years of Republican control in the House of Representatives. I want to thank the men and women who stood up and put their names on the ballot to run. Without them, we would not have been able to do this.
“Democrats are ready to fight for the policies that put us in this position,” the House Democratic Leader added. “We understand the trust that voters have given us and look forward to hitting the ground running in January.”
For Reives, “hitting the ground running” includes running for Speaker of the House — for which he’ll be heavily favored to secure, after having operated as the House Minority Leader since 2021.
“In a historic election, North Carolinians demanded change last night and that will come in January led by Speaker-elect Robert Reives,” North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton said in a statement. “After 16 years of Republican dominance in the General Assembly the people of North Carolina have had enough. Across our state we saw fantastic candidates win against the odds because of their commitment to put working and middle class families over the big money special interests that have been prioritized by Republicans in Raleigh for far too long. I’m so grateful to every staffer, voter, and volunteer that made this new day in North Carolina possible.”
The Chatham County native was undoubtedly one of those people. Because he was uncontested, Reives was freed up to help campaign alongside other Democratic candidates across North Carolina, visiting a dozen districts ranging as far west as Mecklenburg County to as far east as Nash County on Election Day.
During his time in office, Reives has been a staunch advocate for governance not shaped around the leaders in charge of the chambers but instead shaped to address constituents’ needs. Now, he’ll have a chance to do so as Speaker of the House.
The North Carolina General Assembly’s organizational day for the 2027-28 session is expected to be January 13, with Reives saying the Speaker of the House election will take place on January 15.
Featured photo via Mike Roberson on Facebook.
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Chatham County’s Robert Reives Poised to Become NC House Speaker After Election Results Chapelboro.com.
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