Blue Steps Down as Senate Democratic Leader

By Cash Michaels –

A significant changing of the guard took place in the North Carolina Senate as Senator Sydney Batch, a two-term state senator from Apex, has succeeded veteran Dan Blue as Senate Democratic Caucus and minority leader for the 2025 legislative session.

Blue, 75, a state senator from Wake County, has served as Democratic Caucus leader since 2014, but he is best known and regarded as the first and only Black Speaker of the North Carolina House in the state’s history. Sen. Blue is also credited with leading the fight for North Carolina to have a state paid holiday honoring the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He has served Wake County in the state Senate since 2009. Prior to that, Blue served in the state House from 1981 to 2003 (two terms as speaker in 1991 and 1995) and again from 2006 to 2009.

The Democratic Caucus had announced on the evening of December 2 that Leader Blue did not want to serve another term as leader, but published reports from Axios Raleigh stated that in fact, Blue had failed to round up enough votes to continue to serve in that capacity.

Blue issue a statement, saying that he was “excited to pass the torch into the capable hands of Senator Batch.

“Her vision for the future of the Senate Democratic Caucus builds upon the work we started and will ensure the end of the Republican supermajority and to a new Democratic Senate majority which will improve the lives of all North Carolinians,” Blue added.

Batch, who served as deputy minority leader, thanked Blue for his service, stating that North Carolinians are counting on Democrats “to protect their rights, expand opportunity, and fight for policies that prioritize people over politics. Our Caucus remains focused on creating a North Carolina where every resident can build the life they want for their families and themselves, and we are ready to work to get North Carolina back on the right track.”

Sen. Batch, 45, is an attorney and a social worker. She was first elected to the NC House District 37 in 2018. She lost re-election in 2020, but was appointed to replace Democrat San Searcy, who had won Senate District 17 but resigned to take a position in the private sector. Sen Batch won a full two-year state Senate term in 2022, and again this November.

As the new Senate minority leader, Sen. Batch will be leading 20 Democrats against a 50-Republican supermajority.

In the NC House, the Democratic minority reelected Rep. Robert Reives (Chatham, Randolph) to another two-year term. Reives has served as House Democratic leader since 2021.