North Carolina House Rep. Jeffrey Elmore resigning before term ends

A longtime advocate for Republican K-12 education policies in the North Carolina House is resigning from his seat a few months before his term was to end.

Rep. Jeffrey Elmore of Wilkes County, who joined the House in 2013, will step down effective Friday afternoon, according to his resignation letter read Monday on the House floor.

Instead of seeking a seventh two-year House term, Elmore ran for lieutenant governor, finishing in the middle of the pack in the 11-candidate GOP primary in March.

Elmore, who has been a House Appropriations Committee chairman, told the Wilkes Journal-Patriot that he was resigning due to another opportunity, with details to be released soon.

"I was part of many great accomplishments in the past 12 years in the State of North Carolina. There will be even more great things to come in North Carolina's future," Elmore wrote in his resignation letter dated Sept. 3. He told the newspaper that he was also resigning as a Wilkes County public schools teacher.

Elmore, 46, represents the 94th House District covering Alexander County and most of Wilkes County. Republican activists in his area would pick someone to serve out the remainder of Elmore's term through the end of the year.

Republican Blair Eddins and Democrat Steve Moree are on the November ballot seeking to succeed Elmore in 2025 in the 94th District.

Elmore's departure marks the latest by a House member since this year's chief floor session ended in late June.

Republican Reps. Jason Saine of Lincoln County and John Faircloth of Guilford County and Democratic Rep. Ashton Wheeler Clemmons of Guilford County all submitted their resignations in recent weeks. In other developments, Democratic Rep. Kelly Alexander Jr. of Mecklenburg County died last Friday.