John Richard Bell IV

John R. Bell IV is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 10, which covers Wayne County and surrounding areas. As a state representative, he is responsible for introducing and voting on legislation, serving on committees, and representing the interests of his constituents in the General Assembly. He is seeking re‑election in the November 3, 2026 general election for the same seat ¹.

Bell was born and raised in Mount Olive, North Carolina, and graduated from North Duplin High School before earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington ¹². He later entered the private sector, working as a manager of sales and business development for North Carolina Community Federal Credit Union and founding Neuse Connections, LLC, a business‑development firm that assists organizations with growth strategies ¹¹².

Bell first won election to the state House in 2012 and was sworn in in 2013, beginning what is now his seventh term representing District 10 ¹¹². During his tenure he has held several leadership positions: elected House Majority Whip in 2015 and then House Majority Leader in 2016, a role he retained through 2025, making him the longest‑serving Majority Leader in North Carolina history ¹². At the start of the 2025‑26 session he was appointed Chairman of the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House by Speaker Destin Hall ¹². His committee assignments have included Agriculture, Energy and Public Utilities, House Finance, Health, Alcoholic Beverage Control, and Disaster Recovery and Homeland Security across multiple sessions ¹.

Legislatively, Bell has focused on issues affecting agriculture, veterans, rural economies, and public safety. He has sponsored bills to ban foreign adversaries from purchasing North Carolina farmland, to re‑evaluate four‑year college degree requirements for state jobs, and to secure more than $60 million in state budget allocations for Wayne County projects such as school safety funding and disaster‑recovery initiatives ¹³. He has been recognized by pro‑business groups, receiving the NC Chamber’s “Jobs Champion” award in 2021 and 2023, and was named a 2023 Defender of Public Safety and a 2021 Legislative Champion for charter schools ¹³.

In addition to his legislative work, Bell remains active in his community, promoting economic development through his business ventures and supporting military families and veterans through targeted legislation and funding programs. He lives in Mount Olive with his wife, Kelli Gurley Bell, their daughter Averi Kostin Bell, and their dog Maxx ¹².

Sources