N.C. Democratic leader Martin Nesbitt remembered

N.C. Senate Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt (D-Buncombe) died unexpectedly Thursday at age 67, days after stepping down from his position as he sought treatment for an undisclosed medical condition.

Nesbitt, a longtime supporter of education and a stalwart of mountain politics, served in the N.C. General Assembly for more than three decades in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

After Nesbitt stepped down on Monday, Sen. Dan Blue (D-Wake) was selected to lead the Senate Democrats, according to a press release from the N.C. Senate Democratic Caucus.

“After a recent diagnosis, it has become clear that I will need to take some time in the coming weeks and months to focus on my health,” Nesbitt had said in the release. “However, this year’s elections are too important to the future of our great state to not have all hands on deck.”

The N.C. Democratic Party released a statement Thursday evening mourning Nesbitt’s death and praising his contributions to state politics.

“We, the fellow Democrats who worked with and supported Sen. Nesbitt, will continue to champion the causes for which he fought during his illustrious career, and we will incorporate his spirit into the permanent fabric of the Democratic Party,” the statement said.

In an interview before Nesbitt’s death, Jennifer Willis, UNC-CH’s director of state relations and communications, described Nesbitt as a political giant who always stood up for the little guy.

She said Nesbitt’s support for education spanned decades.

“When he was in the House, his support of the 2000 higher education bonds provided much-needed infrastructure support for both our universities and community colleges,” Willis said.

He also spearheaded state mental health reform, she said.

Nesbitt was a Tar Heel twice over, graduating from UNC-CH with both his undergraduate and law degrees.

Nesbitt’s mother, Mary Nesbitt, was a schoolteacher who eventually served in the state House, marking a legislative legacy that ran deep through the Nesbitt bloodline. She also died in office.

Nesbitt’s work in the statehouse resonated on both sides of the aisle.

“We are terribly saddened to hear of Sen. Nesbitt’s untimely passing,” said N.C. Republican Party Chairman Claude Pope in a statement. “Although we may have disagreed on some issues over the years, Sen. Nesbitt was an honorable and dedicated public servant who worked to improve the lives of North Carolinians.”

Willis said although Nesbitt struck an imposing figure in person, he was approachable.

“You might not have come to the same conclusions as he did, but you would always feel that he listened to you,” she said.

She said Nesbitt was protective of the colleges and universities in and near his district.

“Sen. Nesbitt’s a legend in North Carolina politics,” Willis said.

“Without his support as a House member and now as a senator, (North Carolina) public education wouldn’t be where it is today.”

state@dailytarheel.com