Burr voted to convict Trump. Now NC Republicans plan to censure their senator.

North Carolina Republicans are moving to censure U.S. Sen. Richard Burr for his guilty vote Saturday in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.

Burr was one of seven Republicans to vote to convict Trump of inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol. The vote was 57-43, but it fell short of the 67-vote threshold needed for conviction.

Members of the NC GOP’s central committee will hold an emergency meeting Monday night to vote on censuring Burr, the party’s spokesman Tim Wigginton confirmed Sunday evening.

The meeting was arranged Sunday. The censure would not carry any formal penalty.

“I would be surprised if we didn’t vote to censure Burr,” said Charles Hellwig, Republicans’ 2nd district vice chairman, on Sunday night.

The Carolina Journal first reported the censure vote Sunday.

The party’s state central committee consists of about 30 high-ranking officials, including chairmen from each of the state’s 13 congressional districts and Michael Whatley, the chairman of the NC GOP.

Whatley quickly denounced Burr’s vote Saturday.

“North Carolina Republicans sent Senator Burr to the United States Senate to uphold the Constitution and his vote today to convict in a trial that he declared unconstitutional is shocking and disappointing,” Whatley said in a statement.

Burr explains impeachment vote

Burr, 65, is in his third term in the U.S. Senate after serving five terms in the U.S. House. He is not running for reelection in 2022.

Burr twice voted that the trial was not constitutional, but said once the Senate agreed that it was, his duty was to be an impartial juror.

“As I said on January 6th, the President bears responsibility for these tragic events. The evidence is compelling that President Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection against a coequal branch of government and that the charge rises to the level of high Crimes and Misdemeanors. Therefore, I have voted to convict,” Burr said in a statement Saturday.

“I do not make this decision lightly, but I believe it is necessary.”

Burr is not alone. Other Republicans who voted for impeachment have faced similar votes in their home states, including Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

North Carolina Republicans, including an elected member of Congress, quickly denounced Burr after the impeachment vote. U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop of Charlotte said he supported “the immediate censure” of Burr in a tweet.

Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, who is running for Burr’s seat in 2022, send a fundraising appeal off of Burr’s vote.

“Wrong vote, Sen. Burr. I am running to replace Richard Burr because North Carolina needs a true conservative champion as their next senator,” Walker wrote in a tweet.

Sen. Thom Tillis, who won reelection in 2020 running as an ally of Trump’s, voted not guilty in the trial.

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