Former state Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight (D-Dare) announced today his resignation from his seat in the North Carolina Senate effective Tuesday, Jan. 25, the day before the General Assembly returns to conduct business during the state’s long session. Basnight’s leadership presence, which began in 1984, is viewed differently by North Carolinians.
“For some North Carolinians, the end won’t have come soon enough. Some see the man with the hoi-toide accent, referred to simply as “boss” by his staffers, as a key cog in a Democratic power structure that’s been in charge too long, a good ol’ boy who has too many times directed state goodies Down East, the king of pork-barrel politics,” according to The Pilot.
“Or maybe he’s something worse that they can’t quite put their finger on. After all, most politicians are rotten, right? Surely someone as powerful as Basnight is more rotten than most.
“That’s not the way Basnight is seen around the Legislative Building, or back in his home district.”
He said his health is the reason for his resignation, while rumors around Dare County are quite the opposite. Some say he appears to be doing very well, and he is engaged. Two months ago, the mid-term election Republican wave that changed the political landscape of the General Assembly removed Basnight from his position as senate president pro tem.
While in power, Basnight made headlines not only for what he was doing in favor of North Carolina prosperity, but also for his own. Democrats in the Northeastern District are now searching for his replacement. Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue will be in charge of appointing a new senator to the seat.
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