The Stein, Berger and Hall era of political dynamics in NC will be brief
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Berger’s Senate tenure increased legislative power and opposed Democratic governors.
- Stein urged lawmakers to pass a comprehensive, fiscally responsible budget.
- Berger and Stein have known each other for decades.
Good morning and welcome to the Under the Dome newsletter focused on the governor. I’m Capitol bureau chief Dawn Vaughan.
An era is ending this year. You’ve already heard the news: Senate leader Phil Berger lost his Republican primary race to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. That means Berger’s current term is his last, and by the end of the year he’ll wrap up 26 years in the Senate and more than 15 years as arguably the most powerful politician in the state.
During Berger’s tenure, the power of the legislative branch increased while the power of the executive branch decreased. It happened bill by bill, often as policy inserted in the budget, and often led by Berger.
Berger, as president pro tempore of the Senate, has been the opposition to Gov. Josh Stein and Gov. Roy Cooper before him. That’s a decade of sparring between a Republican-controlled Legislative Building and a Democratic-controlled Executive Mansion.
But there will only be two years of Stein, Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall as the three most powerful politicians at the same time. Stein will work with, and against, a new Republican Senate leader in 2027, assuming Republicans keep control.
Berger and Stein have known each other many years. Stein is a former senator himself. And he spent eight years as the attorney general, all while Berger was Senate leader.
When Berger conceded his race against Page on Tuesday, Stein posted on social media:
“I thank our election officials for ensuring that all votes were counted and that the people’s voice was heard. I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victory and commend Senator Berger for his service. While we didn’t always see eye to eye on the issues of the day, I appreciate Senator Berger’s deep love for North Carolina,” Stein said.
And he reminded Berger of the work ahead during the legislative short session, which starts April 21.
“I look forward to working with him and other leaders in the General Assembly in the coming weeks to pass a comprehensive, fiscally responsible budget that invests in our state’s people,” Stein said.
More #ncpol headlines
- NC governor calls on lawmakers to provide $792M more for Helene recovery efforts
- NC is collecting enough taxes to automatically cut them, but there’s a hitch
- Sheriff Sam Page toppled NC’s powerful Senate leader. What to know about him
- NC Sen. Todd Johnson will seek Berger’s job, says he’ll ‘bring a new look on things’
- The Phil Berger era will soon be over. But his former staff aren’t going anywhere
Thanks for reading. Be sure to listen to our Under the Dome podcast, with a new episode out on Tuesdays.
Reach me at dvaughan@newsobserver.com or the entire politics team at dome@newsobserver.com.
This story was originally published March 29, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
