Hagan sworn in to represent N.C. in Senate

WASHINGTON—Everyone had advice for North Carolina’s newest senator, Democrat Kay Hagan, as she was sworn in Tuesday.

Her North Carolina colleague, Republican Sen. Richard Burr, told her to take time to enjoy her first 48 hours in office.

Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., advised her to “be patient” as a freshman learning to navigate a town that favors seniority.

And, Hagan said in an interview, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, sitting in the Senate chamber, told her, “Just watch me.“

Hagan, who defeated Republican Elizabeth Dole to become North Carolina’s junior senator, was escorted down the aisle of the Senate chamber to take the oath of office by Burr and Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., the longest serving woman currently in the Senate. Hagan is one of 17 women in the 100-member Senate.

Hagan said she was “humbled” to join the Senate as her family watched from the gallery above.

“You’d better believe I’m going to work hard in this job,“ she said in her cramped, temporary office in the basement of a Senate office building after the swearing-in ceremony.

Hagan enters the Senate at a time of extreme economic anxiety. The economy will likely dominate the agenda in Washington this year, as Congress and incoming President Barack Obama prepare an economic stimulus package.

“I am anxious to see what President-elect Obama is putting together right now, because the people of North Carolina are hurting,“ Hagan said.

On the first day of a six-year term, Hagan spent much of the afternoon greeting a steady stream of North Carolinians who stopped by her spare office to congratulate her.

“This week is stressful enough, and I’m sure she can’t wait for it to be over,“ Burr said after leaving Hagan’s office following a short visit. But, he said, she should “enjoy it now while it lasts.“

Hagan was not the only new North Carolina lawmaker sworn in Tuesday. Larry Kissell, a Democrat from a district that includes Concord, joined the House after unseating Republican Rep. Robin Hayes.

The former mill worker turned social studies teacher spent the first part of the day greeting North Carolinians in his new office.

Though his computer was not yet set up and the bookshelves were mostly bare, he had already decorated his office with posters featuring positive quotes from cyclist Lance Armstrong, Julius Caesar and others, which he brought from his high school classroom.

The Wake Forest University grad also put up a framed poster commemorating a victory by the Demon Deacons men’s basketball team over UNC-Chapel Hill.

In an interview after his swearing-in, Kissell said he was excited to join Congress even in a time of economic turbulence.

“Being part of this great moment in democracy is very poignant for me,“ he said. “To be part of this process at a time when our nation is facing so many challenges, it’s even more important to me to be here.“

Sean Mussenden can be reached at or 202-662-7668.