Wake County State Rep. Grier Martin to resign for job at Pentagon

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina state Rep. Grier Martin will resign from the House next month because he is taking a job at the Pentagon.

Martin, a Wake County Democrat whose two stints in the chamber date to 2005, said he'll begin July 18 as senior adviser to the assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs.

A lawyer, Martin recently retired from the U.S. Army Reserve. The Afghan war veteran has served as a field artillery officer and a judge advocate.

Martin's resignation, set to take effect July 8, was announced on the House floor Thursday.

Martin had been seeking reelection this November. Wake County Democratic activists will have to pick someone to replace Martin on the fall ballot and compete against Republican Ashley Seshul and Libertarian Kat McDonald for the 34th House District seat.

Local Democrats also have the job of choosing someone to fill out the remainder of Martin's term through year's end.

Martin, 53, said he's been proud to work on ethics reforms and military and veterans' issues while serving in the House, as well as fashioning the state transportation budget when Democrats controlled the chamber.