Rep. Tine says he won’t run for re-election 

In a letter to his constituents on Wednesday, Paul Tine of Kitty Hawk announced that he would not run for a third term in the North Carolina House of Representative in November 2016.

Tine, who has represented District 6 — Dare, Hyde, Washington and part of Beaufort counties — since 2012 said that serving in the legislature has been difficult personally for him and his family.

“Since returning home two weeks ago, I have come to realize that my absence has taken a heavy toll on my family.  It is important that I take the time while my children are still young to be a father and husband.”

Tine noted in his letter that currently there are no announced candidates for next year’s race.

“With the registration in December,” he said. “I felt it was important that I give the public time so that good candidates can come forward.”

Tine was first elected as a Democrat, but changed to unaffiliated just before the start of the 2015 session.  He was then appointed to a key leadership position by the House Republican leadership.

“I am extremely proud of the work I have done for eastern North Carolina and the state,” Tine told his constituents. “This past year was busy with the additional responsibilities that come with co-chairing the Transportation Appropriations Committee and with all of the issues that face our district.”

Among his major accomplishments, Tine mentioned establishing permanent funding for dredging waterways, increasing our investment in the ferry system, creating a community college satellite campus in Washington County, revitalizing the oyster industry and fostering better water quality, requiring a statewide plan for broadband infrastructure development, reducing the regulation so existing rural hospitals can reopen should they be closed, and resolving the dispute on Bonner Bridge.

“Overall, I am proud to say that this past year I was a primary author of 14 bills that passed into law either on their own, by rolling them into larger bills, or by substituting language into Senate bills,” he said.  “Getting more done this session came at a cost of less time at home, however.  After another year in this office it will be time to come home.”

Tine will serve until his term ends in January 2017.

 “There is still much work to be done for Dare, Hyde, Washington, and Beaufort,” he said, “and I hope to find ways to help when my service in this office is completed.”