Under the Dome podcast: An exit interview with Republican NC Sen. Jim Perry
Start your week in North Carolina politics with our latest Under the Dome podcast, for the week of July 15, 2024. Dawn Vaughan here, your podcast host and The News & Observer’s Capitol bureau chief. On this episode, I’m joined by now-former state Sen. Jim Perry, a Kinston Republican.
Perry had powerful influence in the General Assembly, particularly on finance, health care and the budget, and in his former role as majority whip.
Perry and I had a wide-ranging conversation. Here are a few of the highlights so you know what’s on the audio agenda:
▪ For the first time, Perry talks publicly about why his family situation led him not to run again, including about one of his daughters who had her leg amputated.
“About two weeks before the filing period, we got a flurry of of news, and I was fairly vague about it then,” Perry said. “Some of it involves my daughter, and she was not, you know, she didn’t run for office. She’s not a public figure, and she was not ready to share that information at the time.”
▪ Perry also addresses the rumor that he didn’t run because he somehow crossed Senate leader Phil Berger.
“I’ve got my own faults and opinions on issues, but at no time have I ever gotten sideways with Sen. Berger. Sen. Berger has been very helpful for me, while I’ve been up here — very supportive. Little known fact: You know, most Monday nights, especially during the long session, we actually have dinner together,” he said.
▪ Perry is 52, but already retired from his business. We talk about that and what he wants to do next. Why resign now? Listen to hear what he said about the timing, his replacement and if he’ll get into lobbying.
“Sure, it gives me options on being able to do some lobbying if I want to next year, and I do want to do some pro bono work for an amputee organization,” Perry said, adding that his daughter would join him in that.
▪ I asked Perry about Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and former President Donald Trump, and what they say and how they say it, which differs greatly from Perry’s own cordial demeanor.
▪ Perry is good friends with House Majority Leader John Bell, who had been interested in becoming the next House speaker. Instead, it appears likely to be Rules Chair Destin Hall. On that, Perry said: “things work out the way they’re supposed to.” I also asked him about women in leadership in the Senate Republican caucus.
▪ We talked about what Perry thinks about his party’s bad ideas and Democrats’ good ideas.
▪ Perry also tells me everything that Senate Republicans have said in caucus. Just kidding, I couldn’t get that out of him. But we do talk about what he’ll miss, and what he won’t, about the legislature.
Plus a lot more, including what his Headliner of the Session would be.
Listen to our latest episode below and catch up on previous episodes. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Audible, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon Music and Stitcher.
