Philip E. Berger
Philip Edward Berger (born August 8, 1952) is a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's twenty-sixth Senate district, including constituents in Guilford and Rockingham counties. An attorney from Eden, North Carolina, Berger was first elected to the North Carolina Senate in 2000. He became minority (Republican) leader in 2004, and in 2010, he was selected by his fellow Republicans as their choice for the next Senate President Pro Tem. Berger was officially elected president pro tem when the legislature opened on January 26, 2011. Berger was born in New Rochelle, New York; he graduated from George Washington High School in Danville, Virginia in 1970 and studied briefly at Danville Community College. Berger earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Averett College in 1980 and a law degree from Wake Forest University in 1982, after which he entered law practice. He is married to Patricia Hays; they have three children, Philip Jr, Kevin, and Ashley as well as four grandchildren.