GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A Guilford County commissioner has announced his resignation.

James Upchurch, who represented the county’s 6th District, has resigned from the position effective midnight Oct. 2.

Upchurch said that he has “accepted an opportunity in another state,” which means he won’t be able to complete his term as commissioner.

“It has been an honor to represent my hometown as their County Commissioner and be a part of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners. When I ran for office, I made a commitment to make our county more transparent, support our schools, establish a livable wage for our county employees and create an environment that supported High Point,” he wrote in a release.

Upchurch went on to say he spearheaded efforts to create the communications department for the county, allowing commissioner meetings to be streamed on social media.

“I’m proud of the things we’ve been able to accomplish in my time on the Board. This Board has accomplished a lot together. I have truly enjoyed advocating for the betterment of my community and Guilford County as a whole.”

“We wish him all the best in his new role,” Chairman Melvin “Skip” Alston said.

The executive committee of the party that nominated Upchurch will be responsible for recommending a replacement candidate.

Upchurch defeated Republican Jim Davis with 52.9% of the more than 49,000 votes cast in November 2020. Then in December 2021, he announced he was switching from Democrat to Republican saying in part that his values no longer fell in line with the party.

In 2023 he announced a run for the state treasurer’s office, currently occupied by Republican gubernatorial hopeful Dale Folwell, but then withdrew consideration from that and launched a run for state auditor, according to Ballotpedia.