The Robeson County Republican Party wants John Lowery, chairman of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, to fill the state House left vacant by his brother, Jarrod Lowery.
Jarrod Lowery, who had represented Robeson County in the state House since 2022, left office on Tuesday for a job with the Trump administration as senior adviser to the assistant secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior.
As required by state law, the Robeson County GOP’s executive committee was tasked with recommending a replacement to Gov. Josh Stein. The committee unanimously recommended John Lowery to serve the remainder of his brother’s term until 2026, the Robeson County Republican Party said late Tuesday.
“I am thrilled to see John Lowery be selected as our next State Representative,” said Dr. Phillip Stephens, chairman of Robeson County Republican Party, said in a news release. “His years of experience serving in tribal, state, and federal government and delivering for the residents of Robeson County make him an exceptionally prepared choice.”
John Lowery did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
In 2022, John Lowery was elected the seventh chairman of the Lumbee tribe, the largest Native American group east of the Mississippi River with 55,000 members. Like previous tribal leaders, he has pushed for full federal recognition that would bring millions a dollars a year for health care, education, and other services to the Lumbee headquarters in Robeson County.
North Carolina recognized the Lumbee tribe in 1885. Congress granted the Lumbee partial recognition in 1956 but denied it the benefits received by tribes with full recognition.
Opponents of full federal recognition for the tribe, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in western North Carolina, say the Lumbee lack a shared history required for full federal recognition and should go through a lengthy bureaucratic process to pursue the designation.
The issue has become a political flashpoint as Robeson County voters who long picked Democratic candidates have shifted their support to Republicans. Donald Trump won the county three times.
Recognizing Lumbee voters’ support, Trump in January directed the Interior Department to submit a report outlining potential pathways to full federal recognition for the Lumbee.
“For it to be the third full day in office and him to put this memo out there saying it’s now the United States’ official policy to support full federal recognition for the Lumbee people, is huge,” John Lowery told The Assembly and The News & Observer in April.
The report’s recommendation was simple: Keep asking Congress, as the tribe has been doing for generations.
John Lowery said he was pleased with the recommendation, arguing that the Lumbee Act of 1956 essentially cut ties between the federal government and the tribe. The only way to fix it, he said, is for Congress to pass a new law granting full federal recognition.
John Lowery has previously said he preferred to avoid talking about politics, saying his focus was on lobbying Congress for full federal recognition. The measure has bi-partisan support, with the U.S. House passing the latest version of the Lumbee Fairness Act this year. But the Senate has never voted on similar legislation.
As a member of the General Assembly, John Lowery’s attention will likely be centered closer to home. District 47 spans most of Robeson County.
After working as a civics teacher in Public Schools of Robeson County, he worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand services to Native American farmers and rural communities, the Robeson County GOP said in its news release. He went on to work with the N.C. Department of Commerce, where his responsibilities included creating jobs in the Sandhills region.
He served on the Lumbee Tribal Council before being elected chairman. Under his tenure, the tribe has built more housing and Lowery has worked to “expand educational opportunities, secure millions in state funding for cultural and economic projects, and strengthen partnerships with state and business leaders,” according to the news release.
State Sen. Danny Britt, a Republican who represents Robeson County, said John Lowery is the right pick to fill the House seat.
“Though I am sad to see Jarrod leave the General Assembly, I know that John Lowery is exactly the proven leader that Robeson County needs representing District 47 in Raleigh. I’ve worked alongside John for years and have seen firsthand his commitment to conservative values and delivering real results for Robeson County families.”