Last Updated on January 8, 2025 3:50 pm
RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt presided over the opening session of the North Carolina State Senate in her role as ex officio president. During the session, the Lieutenant Governor delivered remarks outlining her vision for bettering the lives of North Carolinians and the importance of ensuring civility, respect and dignity in the chamber.
Former Lieutenant Governor and four-term North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt and former First Lady of North Carolina Carolyn Hunt were present to see their daughter preside over the State Senate over 50 years after Lieutenant Governor Hunt stepped into the same role.
“I am so proud of my daughter for continuing her fight for North Carolina in the office I first held over fifty years ago,” said former Governor Jim Hunt. “We live in the best state in the nation and I know Rachel will keep up the work to champion public education, good-paying jobs and hardworking families.”
Below are Lieutenant Governor Hunt’s remarks as prepared:
As the new president of this dignified and honorable chamber, I would like to say a few words about my vision for our state and what brings us all together here today.
North Carolina is the greatest state in the nation. Like many of you, I have had the great honor and privilege of spending much of my life in our beautiful state. I have seen how lives can be shaped and changed by good government and dedicated elected officials just like you and me who are fighting for the people who elected us.
My dad, one of North Carolina’s greatest governors, taught me many things about the importance of public service and how to give back to our community. From his time as Lieutenant Governor before serving as Governor for four terms, he was steadfast in his commitment to bettering the lives of North Carolinians in everything from public education to creating good-paying jobs. It is the greatest honor to continue his work in the same position that he first served over fifty years ago. Thank you, Dad.
As my dad did, I believe in the great promise of North Carolina. From my years attending our strong public schools and universities, I believe in the chance for every student to succeed and get a high-quality education no matter where they live. From growing up on the farm in Rock Ridge, I believe in the importance of good-paying jobs for hardworking families and supporting our rural communities. And from my work fighting for women and children in the courtroom and this very state legislature, I believe in strengthening child care and defending women’s health care.
However, the promise of our great state does not come without work. My dad likes to say “creative thinking fuels innovation” – and that’s exactly what we have to do in this chamber to unlock all North Carolina has to offer. While we might disagree on some things, everyone in this room has a deep love for our beautiful state. We must be willing to hear each other out and listen to each other to find common ground for the sake of our people. We must reach our shared goals through civility, respect and dignity to make sure we can deliver for North Carolina.
We must also be willing to listen to those in our state who feel as if government is no longer working for them. That will be a priority for me in this office and I plan to travel across our state to hear directly from people in their communities about how we can better serve them and their families.
In that spirit, I want each and every person in this room to know that my door is always open for questions or discussions – even if we disagree. I believe we have more in common than we do not – it just may take a little work to find it. It is important that we never lose sight of the reason why we are here in the first place – to make the lives of North Carolinians better in any way possible.
It is with great honor that I step into this role as Lieutenant Governor and President of the State Senate. I look forward to working with each and every one of you in the years to come to make our state a better place to live, work and raise a family. Thank you.
