# Marc Basnight > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Marc_Basnight > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Marc_Basnight.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Basnight > Source revision: 1347332004 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Marc Basnight** (May 13, 1947 – December 28, 2020) was an American politician who served as a [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) member of the [North Carolina State Senate](/source/North_Carolina_State_Senate), 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 [Beaufort](/source/Beaufort_County,_North_Carolina), [Camden](/source/Camden_County,_North_Carolina), [Currituck](/source/Currituck_County,_North_Carolina), [Dare](/source/Dare_County,_North_Carolina), [Hyde](/source/Hyde_County,_North_Carolina), [Pasquotank](/source/Pasquotank_County,_North_Carolina), [Tyrrell](/source/Tyrrell_County,_North_Carolina), and [Washington](/source/Washington_County,_North_Carolina) counties. ## Career A small business owner, Basnight held the position of [President *pro tempore*](/source/President_pro_tempore_of_the_North_Carolina_Senate) 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.[2] 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.[3] Then, he announced he would resign just before the opening of the new legislature, due to health issues.[4] In an [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press) interview February 13, 2012, asked if he had [Lou Gehrig's disease](/source/Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis) (ALS), Basnight said, "I may have it, may not." Benjamin Brooks of [Carolinas Medical Center](/source/Carolinas_Medical_Center) said Basnight had [progressive bulbar palsy](/source/Progressive_bulbar_palsy) and that, while someone could die from the condition, it was also possible to live a long time. Brooks said medication was slowing the disease's progress, and that it was uncertain whether Basnight had ALS.[5] On March 7, 2019, the North Carolina State Board of Transportation voted to name the 2.8-mile [Oregon Inlet bridge](/source/Marc_Basnight_Bridge) opened three days earlier for Basnight.[6] ## Personal life and business Basnight was born in [Manteo, North Carolina](/source/Manteo,_North_Carolina), and graduated from [Manteo High School](/source/Manteo_High_School) in 1966. He married the late Sandy Tillett on March 23, 1968; they parented two children together, Caroline and Vicki. Basnight chaired the [Dare County](/source/Dare_County,_North_Carolina) tourist bureau from 1974 to 1976, and was a member of the [North Carolina Board of Transportation](/source/North_Carolina_Board_of_Transportation) from 1977 to 1983. Though Basnight never attended college, he received an honorary bachelor's degree from [East Carolina University](/source/East_Carolina_University) in 1996. Basnight was a member of the [Masons](/source/Freemasonry). Basnight owned a restaurant, the Lone Cedar Cafe, between Manteo and Nags Head on the Outer Banks. It burned to the ground May 1, 2007, in what was determined to be a fire caused by arson.[7] It has since been rebuilt. Basnight died on December 28, 2020. He was 73 years old.[8][9] ## References 1. ["Panel elects Basnight successor - State - NewsObserver.com"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121001162403/http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/22/936536/panel-elects-basnight-successor.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/22/936536/panel-elects-basnight-successor.html) on 2012-10-01. Retrieved 2011-01-24. 1. [Democrats choose Basnight to lead Senate in record eighth term](http://www.stategovernmentradio.com/content.html?aid=14880)[dead link] *State Government Radio* 1. [Bittersweet win for Basnight, Washington Daily News](http://www.wdnweb.com/articles/2010/11/04/news/doc4cd20012369e3823498168.txt)[dead link] 1. [News & Observer: Basnight leaving NC Senate for health reasons](http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/04/899240/basnight-leaving-nc-senate-for.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110107002125/http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/04/899240/basnight-leaving-nc-senate-for.html) 2011-01-07 at the Wayback Machine 1. ["Doctor identifies ex-NC Senate leader's illness"](http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/02/14/1855433/doctor-identifies-ex-nc-senate.html). *[News & Observer](/source/News_%26_Observer)*. [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press). 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2012-02-16.[dead link] 1. ["DOT names new Oregon Inlet bridge for Marc Basnight"](https://www.witn.com/content/news/DOT-names-new-Oregon-Inlet-bridge-for-Marc-Basnight-506822541.html). *[WITN](/source/WITN)*. 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2019-03-07. 1. [News & Observer: Basnight's restaurant burns](http://projects.newsobserver.com/blogs/basnights_restaurant_burns) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20081006164054/http://projects.newsobserver.com/blogs/basnights_restaurant_burns) 2008-10-06 at the Wayback Machine 1. Jurkowitz, Mark (December 28, 2020). ["Dare's political powerhouse, Marc Basnight, dies"](https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2020/12/28/former-state-senator-marc-basnight-dies/). *[The Outer Banks Voice](/source/The_Outer_Banks_Voice)*. Retrieved December 29, 2020. 1. Robertson, Gary D. (December 29, 2020). ["Marc Basnight, longest serving NC Senate leader, dies at 73"](https://apnews.com/article/marc-basnight-north-carolina-state-governments-53f868c101af943f8e57ff654ae2f34d). *[Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press)*. Retrieved December 29, 2020. ## External links - *Follow the Money* – Marc Basnight - [2006](http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=79507) [2004](http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=67750) [2002](http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=8354) [2000](http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=40422) [1998](http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=59986) [1996](http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=40282) campaign contributions - [*News & Observer* "Under the Dome" profile](https://web.archive.org/web/20070509192440/http://projects.newsobserver.com/dome/profiles/marc_basnight) |- --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Marc Basnight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Basnight) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Basnight?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.