Rep. Millis resigns from office

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Less than one year after being elected to his third term in office, Rep. Chris Millis has announced he will resign from his seat in mid-September.

Millis made the announcement on his website, saying it has always been his desire to serve and then step away at the proper time. Millis says it is time to prioritize his commitment to his wife and three children.

Millis lives in Hampstead and represents House District 16, which includes Pender County and part of Onslow County. He replaced Carolyn Justice, who chose not to run for re-election in 2012.

He just won his third term in November. His resignation will be effective on September 15.

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore released a statement on Millis’s resignation.

It reads, “The state House of Representatives will lose one of our brightest and hardest-working members without Chris Millis. I can’t say enough about Chris’ dedication to North Carolina taxpayers, his commitment to effective reform and the countless initiatives he undertook to benefit his constituents and citizens statewide. We wish Chris and his family the very best and are deeply grateful for their service to North Carolina.”

North Carolina Democratic Party chair Wayne Goodwin also released a statement.

“Representative Millis has attacked, belittled, and dragged through the mud hardworking public servants, including Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, for no reason other than partisan politics,” it reads. “He’s pushed far-right policies that have made our state less safe, and we look forward to competing for his seat and bringing fresh representation to Pender and Columbus counties.”

You can read Rep. Millis’s full statement below.

Dear Fellow Citizens,

Since 2013 it has been a tremendous honor to represent the citizens of the 16th District in the North Carolina State House of Representatives. After just completing the legislative “long session” of my third term in office, I am humbled that the people of our district entrusted me with their voice and their vote in Raleigh, with the positive changes that have been achieved. The transformational redirection of our state in terms of government spending, the individual tax burden, and oppressive regulation highlights how far we have come as a state that is now governed from a more conservative viewpoint.

From the first time my name was on the ballot to the last vote I made on the House Floor, I can say with confidence that I have remained consistent to the Founding Principles of our form of government. At every turn, my priority was to refocus government on its proper role and to limit it to its intended purpose, so we as individuals can have the greatest opportunity to be free and pursue our own interests. After three terms in office, I am convinced more than ever that the solution to the problems we face today is to employ the Founding Principles that made our nation truly exceptional and prosperous.

It has always been my desire to effectively serve and then step away at the proper time. For me and my family, now is that time.

There has been no greater privilege to have been supported by so many citizens who have embraced the principles that I have consistently articulated with respect to an effective but limited government. The support and sacrifice of my family, friends, co-workers, citizens within the 16th District, and other citizens across this state and nation is deeply appreciated. Together we have been a voice for prudent spending, a lower tax burden, and for more freedom. Together we fought to pass the first law in the nation that proactively protects free speech on public university campuses. Together we repealed dozens of unnecessary and over-burdensome regulations that acted as an invisible tax upon the citizens of our state. Together we fought sanctuary cities in our state and battled the ills of illegal immigration. Together we fought for the rule of law and against the self-serving machinations of political schemers in our government. Together we have made so much progress.

While this fight must continue for the benefit of the citizens of this great state, for me and my family we must put a bookmark on this chapter of public office — a bookmark that could be revisited at the proper time in accordance to God’s will and direction. As a result, effective on September 15th of 2017, I will resign my occupancy of the State House seat that belongs to the people of the 16th District. My resignation is solely based on my need to be with my family more often and has nothing to do with any other assumptions that individuals may want to manufacture.

My wife, three children, parents, other immediate family, and my employer have sacrificed so much so I could serve in Raleigh. Now is the time to prioritize my commitment to my wonderful wife Tonya and to our children Luke, Alexa, and Olivia. Know that while I will be changing gears back to the homefront, I will always be an ally to advancing principles that lead to prosperity. It has been, and will continue to be, my desire that North Carolina would be an example to the rest of the Nation that individuals truly prosper when they are left to be free.

Representative Chris Millis