North Carolina Secretary of State
Secretary of State of North Carolina | |
---|---|
Status | Constitutional officer |
Member of | Council of State |
Seat | Raleigh, North Carolina |
Appointer | General election |
Term length | Four years, no term limits |
Inaugural holder | James Glasgow |
Formation | November 12, 1776 |
Salary | $146,421 |
Website | www |
The North Carolina Secretary of State is an elected
The office traces its origins to the office of the Colonial Secretary of Carolina, created in 1665, and was formally created as an office in 1776. Since 1868, the secretary has been popularly elected every four years. The office's responsibilities—determined by statute—have varied over its existence. Historically weaker than their contemporaries around the United States, the secretary does not oversee elections in the state. They lead the Department of Secretary of State and sit on the North Carolina Council of State.
History of the office
In 1665, the Lord Proprietors of the
In 1868, North Carolina created a new constitution, which provided for the popular election of the secretary of state with four-year terms and no term limits.
The office's responsibilities—determined by statute—have varied over its existence. The secretariat managed the issuance of land grants from its colonial creation until 1957. In 1831, the secretary was briefly designated state librarian.
Powers, duties, and structure
The secretary of state is a constitutional officer.[14] Article III, Section 7, of the Constitution of North Carolina stipulates the popular election of the secretary of state every four years. The office holder is not subject to term limits. In the event of a vacancy in the office, the Governor of North Carolina has the authority to appoint a successor until a candidate is elected at the next general election for members of the General Assembly. Per Article III, Section 8 of the constitution, the secretary sits on the Council of State.[15] They maintain the schedule and agenda of council meetings.[16] They are ex officio a member of the Local Government Commission[14] and Capital Planning Commission.[5] They are fourth in line of succession to the governor.[5][17]
Historically, the North Carolina Secretary of State has been weaker than
The Department of Secretary of State has several divisions and sections: corporations division, publications division, securities division, trademarks section, Uniform Commercial Code section, authentications section, charitable solicitation licensing section, land records section, lobbyist compliance division, and notary public section.[24] As of December 2022, the department has 163 employees retained under the terms of the State Human Resources Act.[25] As with all Council of State officers, the secretary of state's salary is fixed by the General Assembly and cannot be reduced during their term of office.[26] In 2022, the secretary's annual salary was $146,421.[27]
List of secretaries of state
No. | Secretary of State | Term in office | Party | Source | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | James Glasgow | 1776 – 1798 | — | [3] | |
2 | William White | 1798 – 1811 | — | [3] | |
3 | William Hill | 1811 – 1857 | — | [5] | |
4 | Rufus H. Page | 1857 – 1862 | — | [3] | |
5 | John P. H. Russ | 1862 – 1865 | — | [3] | |
6 | Charles R. Thomas | 1865 | — | [3] | |
7 | Robert W. Best | 1866 – 1868 | — | [3] | |
8 | Henry J. Menninger | 1868 – 1873 | Republican | [28] | |
9 | William H. Howerton | 1873 – 1877 | Republican | [28] | |
10 | Joseph Adolphus Engelhard | 1877 – 1879 | Democratic | [28] | |
11 | William L. Saunders | 1879 – 1891 | Democratic | [28] | |
12 | Octavius Coke | 1891 – 1895 | Democratic | [28] | |
13 | Charles M. Cooke
|
1895 – 1897 | Democratic | [28] | |
14 | Cyrus Thompson | 1897 – 1901 | Populist | [28][29] | |
15 | John Bryan Grimes | 1901 – 1923 | Democratic | [28] | |
16 | William N. Everett | 1923 – 1928 | Democratic | [28] | |
17 | James A. Hartness | 1928 – 1933 | Democratic | [28] | |
18 | Stacey W. Wade | 1933 – 1936 | Democratic | [28] | |
19 | Charles G. Powell | 1936 | Democratic | [28] | |
20 | Thad A. Eure | 1936 – 1989 | Democratic | [6] | |
21 | Rufus L. Edmisten
|
1989 – 1996 | Democratic | [30] | |
22 | Janice H. Faulkner | 1996 – 1997 | Democratic | [31] | |
22 | Elaine Marshall | 1997 – present | Democratic | [2] |
References
- ^ Betts 1989, p. 4.
- ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Clyde (2006). "North Carolina Secretary of State". NCPedia. North Carolina Government & Heritage Library. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Cheney 1981, p. 181.
- ^ Betts 1989, pp. 4–5.
- ^ a b c d e f g Betts 1989, p. 5.
- ^ a b Fleer 1994, p. 96.
- ^ Betts 1989, pp. 2, 5.
- ^ "Former North Carolina Secretary of State Faulkner dies at 87". North State Journal. Associated Press. October 16, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ Coleman, Dashiell (January 18, 2019). "Gaston's Brown to run for N.C. secretary of state". Gaston Gazette. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Wiley J. (2006). "Agriculture and Consumer Services, Department of". NCPedia. North Carolina Government & Heritage Library. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ Guillory 1988, p. 41.
- ^ Betts 1989, p. 17.
- ^ "Contact Us". North Carolina Secretary of State. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ a b North Carolina Manual 2011, p. 163.
- ^ North Carolina Manual 2011, p. 138.
- ^ Dillon, A. P. (July 25, 2022). "State treasurer addresses Council of State transparency during monthly call". North State Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ Orth & Newby 2013, p. 115.
- ^ a b Betts 1989, p. 7.
- ^ Specht, Paul (November 5, 2020). "No, North Carolina's Secretary of State doesn't control elections". PolitiFact. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ "We Don't Do That!". North Carolina Secretary of State. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^ Betts 1989, pp. 5, 7.
- ^ Cooper & Knotts 2012, p. 102.
- ^ Fleer 2007, p. 1.
- ^ North Carolina Manual 2011, pp. 163–164.
- ^ "Current State Employee Statistics". North Carolina Office of State Human Resources. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ Orth & Newby 2013, p. 125.
- ^ "What raises are NC teachers, state employees getting in 2022". The News & Observer. July 20, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Cheney 1981, p. 425.
- ^ "Cyrus Thompson". The 1898 Election in North Carolina. University of North Carolina Libraries. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- ^ Fasig, Danielle; Ferris, Virginia; Seifert, Julie (October 2012). "Rufus Edmisten Papers, 1939-2009". Wilson Special Collections Library. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ Waggoner, Martha (May 30, 1997). "A Fix For Everything? She's in a State of Repair". News & Record. Associated Press. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
Works cited
- Betts, Jack (August 1989). "The Department of the Secretary of State: Which Way Now?" (PDF). North Carolina Insight. pp. 2–20.
- Cheney, John L. Jr., ed. (1981). North Carolina Government, 1585-1979 : A Narrative and Statistical History (revised ed.). Raleigh: North Carolina Secretary of State. OCLC 1290270510.
- Cooper, Christopher A.; Knotts, H. Gibbs, eds. (2012). The New Politics of North Carolina. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9781469606583.
- Fleer, Jack (2007). Governors Speak. University Press of America. ISBN 9780761835646.
- Fleer, Jack D. (1994). North Carolina Government & Politics. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 9780803268852.
- Guillory, Ferrel (June 1988). "The Council of State and North Carolina's Long Ballot : A Tradition Hard to Change" (PDF). N.C. Insight. N.C. Center for Public Policy Research. pp. 40–44.
- North Carolina Manual (PDF). Raleigh: North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State. 2011. OCLC 2623953.
- Orth, John V.; Newby, Paul M. (2013). The North Carolina State Constitution (second ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199300655.