At least six members of the Republican freshman class will get leadership posts in the North Carolina Senate this year, an unusual development in a legislative body long dominated by seniority.

Incoming freshmen Sens. E.S. “Buck” Newton, R-Wilson, and Warren Daniel, R-Burke, will co-chair the Senate Judiciary II Committee. Freshman Republican Sen. Thom Goolsby of New Hanover County will be vice chair of the Senate Judiciary I Committee.

Sen. Dan Soucek of Boone will co-chair the Senate Committee on Education/Higher Education, while Sen. Brent Jackson, R-Sampson, will serve as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources. Both are freshmen.

Republican Sen. Louis Pate of Wayne County has experience in the General Assembly — he served four terms in the House — but this year is his freshman outing as a senator. Pate will serve as co-chair of the Senate Health Care Committee.

For each assignment, freshman legislators will have veteran members alongside them. N.C. State University political science professor Andrew Taylor called the appointment of so many rookies “fairly uncommon.”

“It’s unusual, but it’s [presumed Senate President Pro Tem Phil] Berger’s call,” Taylor said. “I don’t think he feels particularly constrained by any of the traditions and practices of the previous majority, and to a certain extent I don’t think he has a lot of choice, because there is such a significant proportion of the Republican caucus [that’s new].”

Republicans secured a 31-19 majority in the Senate in November, their first since the 19th century. Eleven members, more than one-third of the GOP caucus, are freshmen.

The president pro tem is the sole arbiter of committee chair assignments, one potential reason why there are so many freshmen this year, Taylor said.

“In other state legislatures, and particularly in Congress, the picking of committee chairs is a decision that’s made by a wider group of members of the majority party,” he said. “When you have to have a consensus amongst a broad group of people, you tend to rely back on general and traditionally approved procedures and principles, such as seniority.”

Berger also has appointed a number of veteran members to committee posts:

• Sen. Pete Brunstetter, R-Forsyth, will chair the Senate Judiciary I Committee.

• Sens. David Rouzer, R-Johnston, and Don East, R-Surry, will co-chair the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources.

• Sen. Debbie Clary, R-Cleveland, will chair the Senate Program Evaluation Committee.

• Sens. Bob Rucho, R-Mecklenburg, and Fletcher Hartsell, R-Cabarrus, will co-chair the Senate Finance Committee.

• Sens. Neal Hunt, R-Wake, Richard Stevens, R-Wake, and Brunstetter will co-chair the Committee on Appropriations.

• Rucho will lead the Senate Redistricting Committee.

• Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson, will chair the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate.

In November, the Senate GOP caucus nominated Berger for president pro tem and James Forrester of Gaston County as deputy president pro tem. Republicans elected Harry Brown of Onslow County as majority leader, Jerry Tillman of Randolph County as majority whip, Fletcher Hartsell of Cabarrus County as caucus secretary, and Jean Preston of Carteret County as House-Senate GOP caucus liaison.

The House Republican caucus hasn’t announced committee chair appointments.

David N. Bass is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.