District 59 North Carolina state Rep. Jon Hardister has submitted his resignation to the NC House and will officially resign on Monday, April 8.
Hardister was first elected to the legislature in 2012 and served as Republican majority whip from 2017 until he resigned from that position in 2023 in order to devote more time to his campaign for North Carolina commissioner of labor. He was the youngest and longest serving Republican majority whip in the state’s history.
Hardister lost in the Republican primary in the commissioner of labor race to Luke Farley. Hardister’s current term, his sixth in the legislature ends in December.
In the press release announcing his resignation, Hardister said, “There comes a time when a public servant knows it is time to start a new chapter. After serving six terms in the NC House, the time for me to start a new chapter has arrived.”
He also said, “Reflecting back, I am proud of what we have accomplished in the NC House. During my time in office, I was able to play a role in lowering our tax burden, paying off billions of dollars in debt, creating a budget surplus, and helping to make North Carolina the best state for business.”
North Carolina state House Speaker Tim Moore said, “Throughout his tenure in the NC House of Representatives, Jon Hardister has demonstrated remarkable dedication to upholding the values that define our nation. His unwavering commitment to public service and his steadfast advocacy for conservative principles have left an indelible mark on North Carolina and his constituents. Jon Hardister’s leadership has been characterized by integrity, foresight, and a genuine concern for the well-being of his constituents. I am honored to have served with him and thankful for his dedicated service to North Carolina and his constituents.”
The Guilford County Republican Executive Committee will appoint a replacement for Hardister to serve out the rest of his term which ends in December 2024, and it would be surprising if the Guilford County Republicans didn’t appoint the NC state District 59 Republican candidate Alan Branson to the seat.
I am so sorry to see him go. He reminded me a lot of a young Howard Coble, the kind of modest, sensible conservative who did not consider moderation toxic, and who listened to, rather than lectured, his constituents. I hope Luke Farley, whom I do not know, is worth the loss to us of Jon Hardister. He will have to be very good, indeed.
Mr Hardister, a review of the WARN notices posted in NC for the past 5 years show NC has lost tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. Entire facilities have closed and mass layoffs have occurred. There are also many other shutdowns and layoffs which haven’t required a WARN notice to the Rapid Response team
Our state is ranked as the worst state in the USA for workers. Our unemployment benefits are 49th, and NC law does not allow any county to raise the minimum wage over $7.25/hour. The average worker’s pay ranks 39th.
You shouldn’t brag about such a dismal record for the people of NC; you should be ashamed.
Well said. Too bad modern Conservatives don’t care about real facts. Just patting each other on the back for being on the same team.
Facts you say Chris? What may have happened over the past five years that papa fails to mention? According to nc labor statistics the unemployment rate peaked in NC in April of 2020 at 14.5 percent. It’s at 3.5 today. During this time a Democrat was in the governors mansion and pretty much shut down the NC economy. I’ll bet there are businesses that left the state during this time. We are recovering well, much better than many states with total liberal leadership.
Thanks for your service to the State and the country. We need people like you in the Federal Government in the Future. Please consider that as an option in your future.
Let’s hope Guilford County does a better job than when Randolph County appointed a replacement for the late Sheriff, Maynard Reid. That finally worked itself out come election time.
Never heard of Luke Farley, must be the latest insertion by the NCRINO party similar to what they did to Madison Cawthorne. Don’t support the NCRINO party.