Paul Robert Newton is an American business executive and politician who served as a Republican member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing District 34 in Cabarrus County from 2017 until his resignation on March 26, 2025. He served as Senate Majority Leader and was a key leader on issues including energy, tax and regulatory reform, and COVID-19 immunity for higher education. In March 2025, he resigned to become Vice Chancellor and General Counsel at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, starting April 21, 2025; he is a 1982 alumnus and 2024 recipient of the William Richardson Davie Award for extraordinary service. Prior to politics, he was general counsel, senior vice president, and North Carolina state president at Duke Energy , retiring in 2015.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Political Experience: Elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2016, serving five terms through the 2025-2026 session; represented District 36 initially , then District 34; held leadership roles including Senate Majority Leader.