North Carolina Democrats ousted a political giant from Senate leadership ranks Monday night, electing a rising star in the party, Sydney Batch, to replace Dan Blue as the minority leader.

Senate Democrats announced the change in leadership in a statement to the media. Batch, who last month won a second term representing southern Wake County, Batch thanked Blue for his leadership. "It is an honor to be chosen by my colleagues to lead the Senate Democratic Caucus during such a pivotal time for our state,” Batch said in the statement.

Blue, 75, first joined the legislature in 1981 as a House member and 10 years later was elected North Carolina’s first — and still only — Black House speaker.

North Carolina Democrats electing a rising star in the party, Sen. Sydney Batch, to replace Sen. Dan Blue as Senate minority leader.