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Republican state Rep. John Sauls of Lee County has become a rare sight in Raleigh. But when he showed up to the General Assembly last week for the first time in over a month and fourth time in the past year, it gave his party the votes to override four of Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes.
The surprise appearance caught the attention of Democratic Rep. Tracy Clark, who swiftly took to Facebook to voice her frustration with the process and raise concerns about Sauls’ health.
“NC Republicans just overrode 4 of the 5 remaining vetoes,” Clark wrote. “These bills have sat on our calendar for a year now; the Speaker just waited until he had the votes. He brought in a GOP member [Sauls] on his deathbed.”
Sauls, 76, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about his health or attendance.
Clark declined to elaborate on her Facebook post. “I haven’t been told specifics nor is it my business to know,” she told The Assembly.
House Speaker Destin Hall said Clark exaggerated Sauls’ health issues.
“Obviously, he’s had some health challenges, but he is not on his deathbed,” Hall said.
Demi Dowdy, a spokeswoman for Hall, called the matter “irrelevant” and blasted Clark for raising it.
“That was highly inappropriate speculation,” Dowdy said in a statement. “Our members are thrilled to override four more of the governor’s vetoes, and Democrats’ faux concern over our members’ health is irrelevant.”
Sauls, who isn’t running for reelection, has been absent more than any other lawmaker in the legislative session that began in January 2025.
As of Wednesday, Sauls participated in just 37.5% of votes, according to legislative attendance records. Sauls has cast 289 floor votes this session, with the most recent ones occurring June 24, May 20, May 19, 2026. Before that, he had not voted since July 29, 2025. The member with the next fewest votes, Mike Clampitt, died in March and voted 478 times this session.
Saul’s absences raise questions about how effectively the more than 83,000 residents in his district, which covers Lee and Moore counties, are being represented.
In her post, Clark also criticized Democratic Rep. Shelly Willingham and unaffiliated Rep. Carla Cunningham for their unexplained absences last week, which gave Republicans the veto-proof support they needed for the overrides.
Cunningham has declined to comment on missing the votes. Willingham was also short on specifics: “I had something I had to do. I needed to do it. And I did it.”
