Hoyt Patrick Taylor Jr.

Hoyt Patrick "Pat" Taylor Jr. (April 1, 1924 – April 22, 2018) was an American politician and attorney who served as Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives and as the 26th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina.

Early life and career

Taylor was born in Wadesboro, North Carolina, on April 1, 1924, the son of Hoyt Patrick Taylor, who also served as Lieutenant Governor of the state. The two are the only father-son pair to have held the office. the first woman to campaign for a major party's nomination for the post. He then went on to defeat State Rep. Don H. Garren in the general election of 1968 by the narrowest margin in decades (55-45%). He served as Lieutenant Governor for Governor Bob Scott from 1969 to 1973. He was close to the governor and assisted with the legislative agenda. The tax hikes had been unpopular and contributed to Taylor's relatively weak result.

Later life, personal life and legacy After the defeat in 1972, he retired from electoral politics and resumed the practice of law in Wadesboro. He was a member of several boards.

In 2005, Taylor published the book Fourth Down & Goal to Go where he wrote about life and politics in Anson County and North Carolina generally. In his older days, Taylor suffered from dementia. He was a member of the Calvary Episcopal Church of Wadesboro, a Rotarian and a Freemason.

The North Carolina General Assembly honored Taylor and his father in a resolution in 2010. South Piedmont Community College named a center after him and his wife and part of a local road has got his name.