Governor Josh Stein withdrew his nomination of Jeff Smythe to lead the North Carolina Department of Public Safety on Monday, ending a seven-month standoff during which the state Senate never held a confirmation hearing or vote on the pick. Stein is instead appointing Smythe as senior advisor for homeland security in the governor’s office, a post that does not require Senate approval, and naming Casandra Hoekstra, the department’s chief of staff, as interim secretary.
Stein announced the move in a post on X, calling Smythe “a dedicated public servant and decorated law enforcement leader” with a 40-year career in public service and law enforcement, and said he had nominated Smythe to serve as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety more than seven months earlier. According to Stein, the Senate failed to consider Smythe’s nomination or hold a public hearing on it. Stein argued that politics should not interfere with efforts to create a safer, stronger North Carolina, and said the Senate had abdicated its responsibility, disrespected Smythe and law enforcement, and undermined public safety in the state.
The delay traces back to a May 15 letter from Senate Judiciary Committee leaders to Smythe, initiating a review of ethics compliance tied to his simultaneous service as acting state secretary and as an elected Burlington City Council member, according to Carolina Journal. Smythe had served as Burlington’s police chief before winning election to the city council in late 2025, the outlet reports.
Ethics Questions and a Contested Policing Record
In a May 22 response to Senate leaders, Smythe said the State Ethics Commission had reviewed his council role and determined it did not create a conflict of interest, adding that he was prepared to resign from the council if an unavoidable conflict arose, per the same account. Senate committee chairs had pressed Smythe to explain how he intended to manage the dual public roles…