Rep. John Bell seeks majority leader seat
By Steve Herring
Published in News on August 23, 2016 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
State Rep. John Bell discusses his bid for the majority leader seat Monday at the News-Argus office.
Republican District 10 state Rep. John Bell of Goldsboro is a candidate to complete Rep. Mike Hager's unexpired term as the Republican House majority leader.
Bell Monday afternoon said that he thinks the past two years he spent as the House majority whip have prepared him for the office that Republicans will vote on when they caucus on Tuesday, Aug. 30, in Raleigh.
Rep. Michael Speciale of Craven County has also indicated that he will seek the office.
"He and I actually share Craven County together," Bell said.
Bell has filed for a third term for District 10 that includes portions of Wayne, Craven, Greene and Lenoir counties.
He is facing a challenge from Democrat Evelyn Paul in the Nov. 10 General Election.
Hager announced last week that he would resign and enter the private sector. He also is going to be helping look after his father, who is in declining health, Bell said.
That left an opportunity with the majority leader position being open, Bell said.
"I currently serve as the House majority whip," Bell said. "My job there is to really work closely with the majority leader and with the speaker to make sure that we have all of the votes in place and make sure our members are educated and informed on the issues before they make a decision for their district and constituents.
"I have been doing it the last two years. So I have actually worked very closely with Rep. Hager. Our plan of organization, which is our governing document for our Republican caucus, says that you have to replace an elected position in the caucus."
According to that plan of organization, the GOP will hold an election for a new majority leader to fulfill the unexpired term on Aug. 30.
That term will go to December when the membership elects its new leadership for the next session.
Bell said that if he is elected on Aug. 30 that he would seek a full term in December.
Also if elected, an election will be needed on Aug. 30 for his current position as majority whip.
The majority leader leads the direction of the caucus and represents the entire Republican caucus across the state, Bell said.
"Right now, we have 75 members of the Republican House caucus -- 74 Republicans, one unaffiliated who caucuses with us," Bell said. "The majority's leader's job will be to represent them."
To be elected Bell would have to receive votes from one half of those at the caucus plus one. For example, if only 50 members attend he would need 26 votes to be elected.
There would be no swearing-in ceremony, he said.
"If I am blessed enough to receive the support of the caucus once elected they say, 'Thank you. Get to work,'" Bell said. "I have already been working trying to fill in the gaps that Rep. Hager has as far as working with our caucus.
"So I have already been doing a lot of that which is part of my job as majority whip."
There will be plenty to do over the months even though the legislature is not in session, Bell said.
"It would be my job to work with our conference chair, which is the campaign side of our re-election campaigns," he said. "It would be my job to work with them, to call caucuses to keep members informed of what is going on if anything were to pop up or if the governor calls us back into session.
"I will be working with the speaker to make sure that we have the members to respond back."
Bell said he would also represent the Republican caucus whether it was speaking at an event or traveling across the state helping members.
Fundraising is also a big part of the job, ensuring there are funds needed for re-election, he said.
It is a two-year term.
"You have to earn members trust and support," he said. "I would hope that my work as the whip will show that I am organized and dedicated and can handle the job. I have been calling all our members, talking to them, answering questions they have and discussing issues with them.
"One of the advantages I have as being the whip, I actually understand everybody's district in the state because what works here in Goldsboro and Wayne County is completely different from what works in downtown Charlotte. Also you have folks from the extreme western part of the state and from the extreme eastern part of the state."
Caucus members can run for the House majority leader slot right on up to the last minute, he said.
Bell said that is one reason for the phone calls and meetings with his fellow Republicans, to show his interest and his hope to earn their trust and their vote.
The area enjoys a reputation of strong leadership with Sen. Louis Pate Sr. of Mount Olive, who is deputy president pro tem, and with what Rep. Jimmy Dixon of Mount Olive has been able to accomplish in agriculture.
After the Aug. 30 election, members will move straight into political caucus to talk about the upcoming November general election, Bell said.
In addition to being elected the chamber's majority whip this past session, Bell currently serves as chairman of the Regulatory Reform Committee and of the Select Committee on Wildlife Resources.
Bell is a member of the Homeland Security; Military and Veterans Affairs Committee; Agriculture Committee; Banking Committee; Commerce and Job Development Committee; Finance Committee; Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee; Judiciary III Committee; Public Utilities Committee; and Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House Committee.
He serves as a member of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the North Carolina State Lottery.
Bell said he believes in unity, working together to carry the load and a need for the GOP to do a better job of marketing itself.
The party has a good success story, but has not done a good job getting that message out, he said.
Those, he said, are among the things he would focus on as majority leader.