The NC General Assembly
North Carolina's state legislature is a 170-member body that writes state law, sets the budget, and determines policy for 11 million people. Republicans have controlled both chambers since 2011, and currently hold a veto-override supermajority in the Senate, primarily due to aggressive partisan gerrymandering.
Actual NC legislative district boundaries (SL 2023-146 / SL 2023-149). Hover or tap a district to see your representative. Click to pin and follow links.
Understanding the General Assembly
Two chambers, one legislature
The NC General Assembly has two chambers that must agree to pass any law. The House of Representatives has 120 members elected from 120 single-member districts. The Senate has 50 members from 50 districts. Members of both chambers serve two-year terms with no term limits. The legislature convenes in January of odd-numbered years for long sessions and in even-numbered years for short sessions.
How a bill becomes a law
Any legislator can introduce a bill in their chamber. It gets referred to one or more committees, which can amend, table, or advance it. Bills that clear committee go to the full chamber floor for debate and a vote. A bill that passes one chamber goes to the other, where the process repeats. If both chambers pass an identical bill, it goes to the governor — who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature.
The veto and the supermajority
The Governor can veto most, but not all, bills passed by the legislature. A vetoed bill returns to the General Assembly, where it can be overridden by a three-fifths vote of each chamber — 72 House votes and 30 Senate votes. Republicans currently hold a supermajority in the Senate (exactly 30 of 50 seats) and are one seat short in the House. This means the governor can still block House legislation with a veto, but cannot stop the Senate from overriding on its own.
Redistricting and gerrymandering
Every ten years, after the U.S. Census, the General Assembly draws new district maps for both chambers. In North Carolina, the legislature — not an independent commission — controls this process. Courts have repeatedly struck down NC legislative maps as unconstitutional gerrymanders, both racial and partisan. The 2020-cycle maps remain controversial, and redistricting will be a central issue again heading into 2030. Carolina Forward supports independent redistricting reform.