EDEN, NC — Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) filed for reelection to represent Rockingham and Guilford counties in the North Carolina Senate. 

“As politicians in Washington, D.C. continue to leave everyday North Carolinians behind, it’s more important than ever to have representatives in Raleigh who will tirelessly fight for you,” Sen. Berger said. “Since my first day in the Senate I have been steadfast in pursuing policies that help lower taxes for all North Carolina families, increase parental rights in education, expand school choice, uphold your Second Amendment rights, support law enforcement, and remove regulations that prevent job growth.”

After taking the majority in the General Assembly, Sen. Berger and his Republican colleagues went to work shoring up the state’s finances and doing away with the Democrats’ disastrous tax-and-spend policies. In 2013, the General Assembly’s tax reforms led to the largest tax cut in state history. 

Sen. Berger led the charge to implement commonsense election integrity measures, including requiring photo voter ID to vote. This year, he supported an election integrity bill that requires absentee mail-in ballots to be received by Election Day, clarifies the rules for poll observers, and prohibits “Zuck Bucks” and other third-party donations from funding elections administration. 

He has a strong tough-on-crime record and has done everything he can to support law enforcement. This year he was recognized for his efforts to pass legislation that puts an end to unfair law enforcement disciplinary policies. He also supported legislation to increase the penalties for heroin and fentanyl traffickers. Sen. Berger has been at the forefront of addressing the scourge of sanctuary cities and supports requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE officials. 

“Since Republicans earned the majority in the General Assembly in 2011, our state has undergone a remarkable transformation. Democrats had mismanaged the state and put us on the brink of disaster,” Sen. Berger said. “Now, we are a state that is prospering and seeing unprecedented growth. Our work is not done, and I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Rockingham and Guilford counties in the Senate.”

At home in Rockingham County, Sen. Berger was instrumental in helping save the Morehead Memorial Hospital – now UNC Health Rockingham. He has championed job creation in the Triad and has helped bring hundreds of new jobs to the area and support new businesses revitalizing previously vacant manufacturing plants. 

Over his time in the Senate, he has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for Rockingham and Guilford counties to address local needs. 

In the most recent state budget, Sen. Berger advocated for funding for area rescue squads, fire departments, infrastructure projects, and local projects for municipalities in Rockingham and Guilford counties. 

Sen. Berger has already earned the endorsement of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson: "North Carolinians don't have to look too far back in our history to see a time when our state was decimated by decades of Democratic control. That changed in 2011 when Republicans earned the majority in the General Assembly. Since then North Carolina has undergone a generational transformation, and no one has done more to facilitate that change than Phil Berger. Phil has championed the conservative policies that have made North Carolina the best state in the nation. I have seen firsthand his tireless efforts to serve the people of Rockingham and Guilford counties, and I believe he is the best man to represent District 26 in the Senate.”

Sen. Berger lives in Eden with his wife, Pat. They have three grown children and five grandchildren. He was first elected to the State Senate in 2000. His colleagues elected him minority leader in 2004, and President Pro Tempore in 2010 after Republicans won a Senate majority for the first time since the 19th Century. He is the first Republican leader of the North Carolina Senate in more than 100 years.