Governor Josh Stein withdrew his nomination of Jeff Smythe to lead the North Carolina Department of Public Safety on Monday, ending a seven-month standoff during which the state Senate never held a confirmation hearing or vote on the pick. Stein is instead appointing Smythe as senior advisor for homeland security in the governor's office, a post that does not require Senate approval, and naming Casandra Hoekstra, the department's chief of staff, as interim secretary.
Stein announced the move in a post on X, calling Smythe “a dedicated public servant and decorated law enforcement leader” with a 40-year career in public service and law enforcement, and said he had nominated Smythe to serve as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety more than seven months earlier. According to Stein, the Senate failed to consider Smythe's nomination or hold a public hearing on it. Stein argued that politics should not interfere with efforts to create a safer, stronger North Carolina, and said the Senate had abdicated its responsibility, disrespected Smythe and law enforcement, and undermined public safety in the state.
The delay traces back to a May 15 letter from Senate Judiciary Committee leaders to Smythe, initiating a review of ethics compliance tied to his simultaneous service as acting state secretary and as an elected Burlington City Council member, according to Carolina Journal. Smythe had served as Burlington's police chief before winning election to the city council in late 2025, the outlet reports.
Ethics Questions and a Contested Policing Record
In a May 22 response to Senate leaders, Smythe said the State Ethics Commission had reviewed his council role and determined it did not create a conflict of interest, adding that he was prepared to resign from the council if an unavoidable conflict arose, per the same account. Senate committee chairs had pressed Smythe to explain how he intended to manage the dual public roles.
Senate Republicans also scrutinized Smythe's record as Burlington police chief, a post he held from 2013 to 2021, citing a June 2020 incident in which he accepted an “End Police Brutality” sign during a George Floyd protest and had officers pose with it, alongside his department's adoption of progressive policing policies, the report notes. Smythe was elected to the Burlington City Council on November 4, 2025, and sworn in on December 2, 2025, less than a month before Stein appointed him to the DPS post on January 1, 2026, according to Ballotpedia.
Smythe's ties to Stein date back further. Then-Attorney General Stein appointed Smythe as director of the North Carolina Criminal Justice Standards Division in July 2021 following Smythe's 35-year law enforcement career, according to the North Carolina Department of Justice. That division regulates officer certification and training academies statewide.
A Cabinet Seat Left Vacant Since Buffaloe's Departure
Smythe stepped into the DPS role after former Secretary Eddie M. Buffaloe Jr. retired from state cabinet service on December 31, 2025, to join the Raleigh Police Department as Deputy Chief of Administrative Services, according to the City of Raleigh. Buffaloe had led the department since 2021 under former Governor Roy Cooper before briefly continuing into Stein's administration.
The Department of Public Safety oversees state law enforcement, emergency management, adult correction, and state homeland security, directing more than 21,000 sworn and civilian employees along with 13,000 National Guard members, per Carolina Journal. Casandra Hoekstra, now installed as interim secretary, previously served in that same interim role under Governor Cooper from July to October 2021 before becoming DPS chief of staff in January 2025, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
A Broader Fight Over Cabinet Appointment Power
The withdrawal comes as the Republican-led General Assembly advances House Bill 268, a budget corrections package that includes a provision requiring unconfirmed cabinet nominees to be removed from office and barred from re-appointment during the governor's term if the Senate fails to grant advice and consent, according to NC Political News. Stein publicly criticized the legislative package on August 4 as an attempt to shift executive authority away from Democratic officials.
While his nomination sat unresolved, Smythe continued performing public-facing secretarial duties for more than seven months, including co-leading state emergency weather briefings and advocating for mental health crisis centers alongside Stein. Hoodline previously reported on Smythe joining state transportation and emergency management leaders during winter storm response briefings, and on his appearance alongside Stein during a mental health facility tour in Burlington.
Stein, the 76th governor of North Carolina, has now moved Smythe into the governor's office rather than continue waiting on Senate action, while the Department of Public Safety proceeds with a search for a permanent secretary under Hoekstra's interim leadership.
.jpg){kind=link}