Representative John R. Bell, IV is a native of Mount Olive, NC and is a graduate of North Duplin High School and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. 

Representative Bell was first elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2013 and is currently serving his seventh term – representing District 10, which includes Wayne County. 

In 2015, he was elected House Majority Whip, then House Majority Leader in 2016, holding the position until 2025, making him the state's longest-serving Majority Leader.

At the start of the 2025-26 legislative session, Representative Bell was appointed by Speaker Destin Hall to serve as the Chairman of the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.

Representative Bell is currently a board member for RISE Capital, a private equity company with companies based throughout North Carolina. He is married to Kelli Gurley Bell and has a daughter, Averi Kostin Bell and dog Maxx.