Basnight rep

Marc Basnight (born May 13, 1947) served as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party%28United_States%29" title="Democratic Party (United States)">Democratic</a> member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_State_Senate" title="North Carolina State Senate" class="mw-redirect">North Carolina State Senate</a>, representing the 1st District, from 1984 through his resignation just before the start of what would have been his 14th term in 2011. His district included constituents in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_County,North_Carolina" title="Beaufort County, North Carolina">Beaufort</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camden_County,North_Carolina" title="Camden County, North Carolina">Camden</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currituck_County,North_Carolina" title="Currituck County, North Carolina">Currituck</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dare_County,North_Carolina" title="Dare County, North Carolina">Dare</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyde_County,North_Carolina" title="Hyde County, North Carolina">Hyde</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasquotank_County,North_Carolina" title="Pasquotank County, North Carolina">Pasquotank</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrrell_County,North_Carolina" title="Tyrrell County, North Carolina">Tyrrell</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_North_Carolina" title="Washington County, North Carolina">Washington</a> counties.

A small business owner, Basnight held the position of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_Pro_Tempore_of_the_North_Carolina_Senate" title="President Pro Tempore of the North Carolina Senate" class="mw-redirect">President pro tempore</a> from 1993 until Democrats lost their Senate majority in the November 2010 elections. In December 2006, Senate Democrats officially backed him for a record eighth term in that post, and in January 2009, Senate Democrats and two Republicans backed him for a ninth term. Such bipartisan support is rare when electing presiding officers in the North Carolina legislature.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Basnight#cite_note-2">[2]</a> In the wake of the 2010 elections, Basnight said he would not seek any leadership post in the minority Democratic caucus when the legislature reconvened in January 2011.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Basnight#cite_note-3">[3]</a> Then, he announced he would resign just before the opening of the new legislature, due to health issues.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Basnight#cite_note-4">[4]</a> In an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Press" title="Associated Press">Associated Press</a> interview February 13, 2012, asked if he had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis" title="Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis">Lou Gehrig's disease</a> (ALS), Basnight said, "I may have it, may not." Dr. Benjamin Brooks of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolinas_Medical_Center" title="Carolinas Medical Center" class="mw-redirect">Carolinas Medical Center</a> said Basnight had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_bulbar_palsy" title="Progressive bulbar palsy">progressive bulbar palsy</a> and that, while someone could die from the condition, it was also possible to live a long time. Brooks said medication is slowing the disease's progress, and that it is uncertain whether Basnight has ALS.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Basnight#cite_note-5">[5]</a>