Longtime N.C. Rep. Grier Martin resigning from office

Longtime N.C. Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake, is resigning from office effective July 8. The announcement was made during Thursday’s House session. According to WRAL, he is leaving to take a job with the Pentagon. A call to Grier’s office to confirm was not returned by time of this article’s publication.

A statement from Martin was read on the floor: “Serving in the House of Representatives has been an honor. I am deeply grateful to the people of Raleigh and North Carolina for allowing me to work for them for so long. Our system of representative democracy is precious, and it has been immensely fulfilling to have played a small part in its continuation.”

Martin was first elected to the 34^th District in the House in 2004 after defeating incumbent Republican Don Munford. He went on to win re-election in 2006 and 2008 against Republican J.H. Ross and again in 2010 against Republican Steve Henion in 2010. He decided not to run for re-election in 2012 after redistricting placed him in the same district as Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross. When Ross resigned from the legislature in 2013, he was chosen by Democrats to take her place for the remainder of her term.

He ran unopposed for a full-term in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016, 2018, and 2020. The Democratic primary on May 17 for the office was cancelled due to no opposition and he was scheduled to face off in the November General Election against Republican candidate Ashley Seshul and Libertarian candidate Kat McDonald

Grier is an attorney and a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve and served in Afghanistan in 2002 and 2003.

He currently serves on various committees including Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs; Appropriations; Transportation; Judiciary 3; and Pension and Retirement.

There’s no word on who Democrats will appoint to serve the remainder of Martin’s term.