Benton Sawrey

Benton G. Sawrey (born January 20, 1987 ) is an American politician who has served as a member of the North Carolina Senate since January 1, 2023. A Republican from Clayton, he represents the 10th district. Sawrey is a graduate of North Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina.

Early life and education Sawrey is a native of Smithfield, North Carolina. He attended Johnston County Public Schools and graduated from Smithfield-Selma High School. After graduation from high school, he attended North Carolina State University and earned a B.A. in political science. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Career Attorney Sawrey is a partner with the law firm Narron Wenzel, P.A. that has offices in Smithfield, North Carolina and Raleigh, North Carolina. His practice areas include business transactions, real estate litigation, and estate and trust litigation.

Community involvement Prior to his election to the North Carolina Senate, Sawrey served on the board of trustees at Johnston Community College. He was appointed to the college's board in 2015 by Governor Pat McCrory and re-appointed in 2019 by the Johnston County Board of Education. He also served as a member of the board of directors for the Partnership for Children of Johnston County between 2016 and 2021 and a member of the Board of Directors of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation between 2015 and 2022.

Sawrey was recognized by the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce in 2022 with its Emerging Leader Award that honors professionals under 40 who demonstrate exceptional leadership, business impact, and community service.

North Carolina Senate Sawrey was elected to represent North Carolina Senate District 10 in 2022 and assumed office on January 1, 2023. North Carolina Senate District 10 encompasses all of Johnston County and was an open seat as a result of legislative re-districting following the 2020 census. He defeated Jill Homan and Matt Ansley in the Republican primary and then defeated Democrat Dr. Gettys Cohen Jr. in the general election.

Sawrey currently serves as co-chair of the North Carolina Senate Health Care Committee and co-chair of the North Carolina Appropriations on Health and Human Services Committee. Sawrey was appointed to serve as co-chair on the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid and co-chair of the Legislative Ethics Committee. He also serves on the Judiciary Committee, the Elections Committee, and the Committee on the Rules and Operations of the Senate.

Sawrey serves as co-chair of the North Carolina General Assembly's Life Sciences Caucus.

Sawrey has sponsored and passed into law several major pieces of legislation. He was the primary sponsor of the SCRIPT Act, which was signed into law by Governor Josh Stein on July 9, 2025, and reforms prescription drug pricing and pharmacy benefit manager practices in North Carolina. Sawrey was also a primary sponsor of Senate Bill 1080, Lower Taxes for All, which places a constitutional amendment to cap the North Carolina state personal income tax rate at 3.5% on the ballot for the upcoming 2026 general election.

Sawrey has spoken about the need to reform North Carolina's certificate-of-need laws and has introduced legislation that would repeal certificate-of-need requirements for health care facilities in the state.

Sawrey was appointed by Governor Josh Stein to serve on the Health Care Affordability Commission. Sawrey serves on the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force and the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Commission.

Election results

NC SBE Contest Results

NC SBE Contest Results

NC SBE Contest Results

NC SBE Contest Results

Personal life Sawrey lives in Clayton, North Carolina, with his wife and two children. He and his family are members of Horne United Methodist Church.