DEFEATED: NC House Minority Leader Plans to Step Aside After ‘Disappointing Election’

RALEIGH – If you failed to notice a Blue Wave in the 2020 elections, that’s because there wasn’t one. Despite Democrat Governor Roy Cooper winning reelection, Democrats failed to make any real cracks in the Republican legislative majority, after breaking the super-majority in 2018.

The defeat has led Rep. Darren Jackson (D-Wake), the N.C. House Minority Leader, to announce that he will not seek the position in the incoming General Assembly of 2021.

It may not be that he doesn’t want the role, as much as it is that the Democrats don’t want him anymore.

From WXII12:

“[…] Wake County Rep. Darren Jackson has served as minority leader for the past four years. But he said disappointing election results in his chamber for the Democrats and life changes contributed to his decision to step aside.

Democrats had hopes of taking back a majority in the House for the first time since 2010. Instead of gaining the six additional seats needed, Democrats lost a few additional seats overall.

“There’s going to be a push in my caucus for changes, and I can and do understand that,” Jackson said in an interview. […]”

The idea of overtaking the majority turned out to be delusions of grandeur. Instead of a Blue Wave, the Democrats LOST seats, in a scene similar to the results of the 2020 congressional elections nationwide.

But instead of merely the weakened majority of Nancy Pelosi in Congress, Democrat state lawmakers are dealt yet another year of minority status on Jones Street in which the only thing they can hope to do is to frustrate attempts to override the inevitable vetoes from Governor Roy Cooper.

When the legislature reconvenes in January, then, the Democrats’ House Caucus will elect new leadership to carry the bull horn with which to whine about Republicans passing policies that aren’t Woke enough.

Rep. Robert Reives (D-Chatham), who has been in the deputy position for House Democrats, looks like a front runner to take over for Jackson.

On the other side, and with the upper hand, will be current House Majority Leader Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne), who’s indicated he will pursue the role once more, and, of course, House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland).