RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson resigned Wednesday, according to the state Department of Labor.
Dobson won office in 2020 after Cherie Berry, who was widely known as “The Elevator Queen," retired. In 2022, Dobson announced he would not seek a second term.
Dobson submitted his resignation to Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday, writing in part,
"I am grateful for the last 14 years I have been able to serve in elected office and the opportunity to be your Commissioner of Labor. After 21 years of public service, I look forward to pursuing new opportunities in the private sector."
Luke Farley will become the next Republican to hold the seat of labor commissioner for the state of North Carolina. Farley, a workplace safety attorney from Raleigh, secured nearly 53% of the vote against Democratic opponent Braxton Winston II.
The 2024 race for North Carolina's Commissioner of Labor saw two newcomers face off for a key state office, one that oversees the workforce in the Tar Heel State.
Farley is an attorney from Raleigh who specializes in workplace safety with more than 14 years of experience. He grew up in Onslow County. He's earned endorsements from previous labor commissioner Cherie Berry and current commissioner Josh Dobson, who opted not to run in 2024. Both Berry and Dobson are Republicans.