Area legislative delegation fills leadership roles

Paul B. Johnson, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

Jan. 12—GUILFORD COUNTY — One area legislator won't know until later this month whether he will retain his state House leadership role, but another representative is assured of continuing in his post.

Rep. John Faircloth, R-Guilford, will find out later this month whether he'll remain a co-chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee for the 2023 N.C. General Assembly session, which began Wednesday, an aide told The High Point Enterprise.

Faircloth, a retired High Point police chief and former city councilman, has used his role on the committee in the past several years to secure state funding for the High Point Market and local nonprofits.

Meanwhile, Rep. Amos Quick, D-Guilford, secured a third term as a House Democratic caucus minority whip. Quick told The Enterprise that he was named again to the post unanimously by his fellow Democratic representatives on Wednesday.

Quick, a former vice chairman of the Guilford County Board of Education from Greensboro and part of the Democratic House leadership, noted that Democratic unanimity is needed now that the House's Republican majority is just one Democratic member's vote away from being able to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of bills.

"It will be a little bit tougher environment to sustain Gov. Cooper's vetoes, but with the camaraderie and unity we showed ... (Wednesday) I hope that we'll be able to hold together," Quick said.

Quick will have a new leadership role as well, serving as chaplain for the Legislative Black Caucus. Quick had served as pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in High Point for the past 10 years, but he accepted a new pastoral role at the first of this month with Friendship Baptist Church in Lexington.

Other legislative leaders from the local delegation include Rep. Jon Hardister, R-Guilford, who will continue in his longtime role as majority whip for the House Republican caucus, and Rep. Ashton Clemmons, D-Guilford, who will serve for the first time as deputy House Democratic leader. Hardister and Clemmons were named to their leadership posts in the weeks leading up to the start of the 2023 session.

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul