Moore won't seek sixth term as NC House speaker

Speaker of the House Tim Moore, North Carolina's longest-serving speaker of the house, confirmed Friday that he won't seek another term as the House's top leader.

"This is nothing new," Moore told WRAL News when asked about his plans. "I publicly stated last year before the 2022 general election that this would be my last term as speaker. All of my caucus members were aware when I ran last year this would be my last term."

Moore, long a rumored congressional candidate, didn’t rule out the possibility of running for his state House seat again, noting “any other plans [are] yet to be determined." It is unusual, though, for a former House speaker to seek reelection to their seat without also seeking reelection to the leadership position.

"Weighing options for the future," he said in a text message. "At the moment I really want to focus on getting a budget done that builds on our legislative successes."

Moore, R-Cleveland, is a central player in ongoing legislative negotiations over the state budget, which is now two weeks overdue. Lawmakers will also meet later this year to redraw state legislative and congressional districts, which would let lawmakers draw a congressional district Moore would stand a good chance of winning. Moore will have some say over the matter.

In 2021, Republican state lawmakers constructed a map that included a safe Republican district for Moore to run for Congress, and he was widely expected to take that opportunity. However, then-incumbent Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn announced he would run in that district, rather than in his redrawn western NC district. After that, Moore announced he would stay in the state House.

The map was subsequently replaced by a court-ordered map that was used for the 2022 election. Under state law, the court-drawn map must be redrawn for the 2024 elections.

Moore helmed the House for much of the Republican majority's unprecedented run of success the past 13 years. The party holds a supermajority now in both chambers, allowing Republicans to overturn Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's vetoes without help from Democratic members.

Moore has been the center of controversy, too. Earlier this year his relationship with a married state employee became public knowledge when her husband sued the speaker. In the lawsuit, he was alleged to have traded sex for political favors, a claim Moore has denied. The matter was resolved out of court. Republican House members said while the suit was active that they considered it a personal matter and supported Moore continuing as speaker this session.

Rep. Jason Saine, a House budget writer and one of Moore's top lieutenants, said Friday that Moore told his Republican colleagues well before that controversy that he wouldn't seek a sixth term as speaker.

"The speaker has been very clear that he only intended to serve one more term and he told our caucus this in December before this session began," Saine said.

Any member of the chamber can run to replace Moore. But the position usually goes to an existing member of the party’s leadership in the chamber.

House Majority Leader John Bell, R-Wayne, told WRAL News that he's interested in running for the position next term. Other top members of leadership who could seek to succeed Moore include Speaker Pro Tempore Sarah Stevens, R-Surry; Rules chairman Destin Hall, R-Caldwell; Appropriations chairmen Dean Arp, R-Union, and Donnie Lambeth, R-Forsyth; Education chairman John Torbett, R-Gaston; and Saine, another appropriations chair.

"I think it is far too early for anyone to pragmatically announce a run," Saine said.