Republican leaders from across northeastern North Carolina selected former Superior Court Judge Jerry Tillett to fill the remainder of state Sen. Bobby Hanig’s term, allowing the Republican nominee to take office before voters decide who will represent the district for the next two years.
According to the Island Free Press, members of the Republican Senate District 1 Executive Committee chose Tillett by acclamation during a meeting at the Currituck County Courthouse.
Senate District 1 includes all or portions of Bertie, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans and Tyrrell counties.
Under North Carolina law, Governor Josh Stein must appoint the person recommended by the district’s executive committee within seven days of receiving the recommendation. If Stein did not make the appointment within that period, Tillett would be considered appointed, and the Senate would be directed to seat him for the remainder of Hanig’s term.
That term expires at the beginning of January.
Tillett is the Republican nominee in the Nov. 3 general election, where he faces Democratic nominee Melissa Zehner of Southern Shores for a full two-year Senate term beginning in 2027.
Tillett’s campaign has faced some controversy, including allegations that Tillett used racial slurs in a recorded conversation. In January, The Assembly reported on an audio clip that was posted to social media that allegedly revealed Tillett using the N-word and joking about shooting a Black man.
While Tillett has denied the allegations regarding the audio recording, The Assembly reported further on Tillett’s record, noting that in 2023, Tillett summarily convicted defense attorney Matthew Geoffrion of contempt and sentenced him to 30 days in jail, denying him a hearing or legal representation. Geoffrion had angered Tillett by accusing the judge of bias in jury selection; his Black client, Wisezah Buckman, was facing a possible death sentence from an all-white jury, according to The Assembly.
Tillett’s campaign has also been scrutinized for Tillett’s connection to Harvey West, a convicted sex offender who has held multiple leadership positions in the NCGOP for years.
In 1999, then-28-year-old Harvey West Jr. was a police officer in eastern North Carolina who was arrested and charged with the statutory rape of three young girls. West ended up pleading guilty to multiple counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and served six years in prison. After his release from prison, West was placed on the sex offender registry for at least 10 years.
West’s criminal history did not stop him from engaging in politics, and he was Chair of the NCGOP’s First Congressional District. Additionally, West was appointed to the NCGOP’s powerful rule-making committee by then-NCGOP chair Michael Whatley multiple times. Whatley is currently the Republican nominee for North Carolina’s open US Senate seat.
West also became a powerful fundraiser for Republican judicial candidates, hosting multiple fundraisers at his home, featuring candidates over the years such as state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby, Justices Phil Berger Jr., Trey Allen, and Tamara Barringer, and the current Republican nominee for state Supreme Court, Sarah Stevens.
Newly appointed state Senator Jerry Tillett has attended multiple events featuring West, including a Liberty Banquet hosted by the Northeast Carolina Republican Women as well as multiple county-level GOP events.
Tillett will only keep his seat in the state Senate if he is elected in November. His opponent is Democrat candidate Melissa Zehner, who is running to put working people first, invest in our kids, and work to secure fair maps.
In North Carolina, early voting begins Thursday, October 15th, and ends Saturday, October 31st at 3 pm. Election day is November 3rd.
