RALEIGH The Democrats of the N.C. House of Representatives selected Rep. Darren Jackson (Wake) as new minority leader Monday. Former two term minority leader Rep. Larry Hall of Durham previously withdrew his name from consideration for the post.Jackson has been a leading opponent of Republican majority reform efforts, notably leading the charge against controversial H.B. 2 as well as leading a formal protest of the General Assembly’s fourth extra session, concluded last week, in which further government reforms were passed.The legislature is entering it’s fifth special session of 2016 on Wednesday to modify or repeal H.B. 2 after the Charlotte City Council repealed the bathroom ordinance that lead to the passage of the controversial law.In his third term in the N.C. House of Representatives, Jackson is an attorney in Raleigh.After Democrats failed to make a dent in the Republican super-majority in the 2016 general elections, the party was under pressure to make a change in leadership. During Hall’s tenure as minority leader, the Democratic caucus was forced to swallow Republican majority legislative proposals and according to sources efforts to achieve common ground measures were stifled.Jackson takes the reigns as leader just before Democrat Governor-elect Roy Cooper takes the oath of office, perhaps creating more political leverage for the minority party when the regular legislative session convenes in January.
