RALEIGH — State Rep. Ben Moss now has another leadership position to add to his political resume.
Moss, R-Richmond, was elected last week to serve as the vice chairman of the N.C. House Freedom Caucus.
According to a press release issued July 23, nominations for the position were held because of the expected move of Rep. Bobby Hanig, R-Currituck, to the Senate to replace the retiring Sen. Bob Steinberg, R-Chowan.
“Ben has been an outstanding member of the Freedom Caucus, fighting for 2nd Amendment Rights, the Right to Life, Election Integrity, and Conservative Principles,” said Rep. Keith Kidwell, R-Craven, chairman of the caucus. “I’m thankful for the leadership, guidance, and counsel that Bobby has offered to our caucus over the last several years, and I’m excited to see Ben carry that mantle and build on our efforts to protect liberty in the NC House.”
Before winning the state election in 2020 against Democrat Scott Brewer — who had been appointed to fill the vacancy left by Ken Goodman’s move to the N.C. Industrial Commission — Moss served a decade on the Richmond County Board of Commissioners.
In both elected positions, Moss was the first Republican to hold those seats in a century.
This past May, Moss defeated fellow Republican Jamie Boles, R-Moore, in the primary election after redrawn maps put them in the same district.
“Since elected to the NC House, I have resolved to remain faithful and true to my conservative principles, regardless of political pressure,” Moss said in a statement, “That’s why I joined the Freedom Caucus in the first place, to serve as a voting bloc that protects constitutional rights. I’m excited to take on the role of Vice Chair and continue in our fight for liberty in the state legislature.”
Moss is new member whip of the House and vice chairman of both the Transportation and Local Government committees in that chamber. He is also a member of the Appropriations, Appropriations-Transportation, and Commerce committees, as well as the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee.
Other members of the Freedom Caucus, as reported by conservative site the Daily Haymaker in 2021 when it was reformed include Reps. Mark Broady, R-Union, Larry Pittman, R-Cabarrus, Mark Pless, R-Haywood and George Cleveland, R-Onlsow.
The Freedom Caucus held a rally earlier this month in Maggie Valley, which is in Pless’ district, as reported by the Smoky Mountain News.
Kidwell said the objective of the HFC is to “assist leadership in how legislation may infringe upon the rights and liberties of our citizens, and to offer suggestions and alternatives for improvement,” Smoky Mountain News reported.
According to that publication, Kidwell said the group has grown from five to nearly 20 members since reforming two years ago.
Moss, Cleveland, Kidwell and Broady are all listed as cosponsors of a recent controversial bill that would ban smaller governments from operating free electric vehicle charging stations without also offering free gasoline and diesel fuel, as well as require businesses that maintain free EV chargers to include the percentage of the cost on receipts.
