Burly and broad-shouldered, Apodaca, 58, has been the enforcer for Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger of Eden. As Senate Rules chairman, he determines which legislation gets a vote and which remains bottled up in committee.
Like Rucho, co-chairman of the Finance Committee, he came to power when Republicans took control of the Senate in 2011. They helped helped pass legislation that changed North Carolina's tax system and voting laws while shifting policies to the right on health care and social policy.
I can't overstate how instrumental he has been to the Senate Republican Caucus' electoral and legislative success.
Berger praised Apodaca, one of the legislature's most colorful members and strongest personalities.
While Berger tries to stay above the fray, Apodaca is blunt and partisan. To critics he can be heavy-handed, dismissing opponents with a parliamentary maneuver or brusque retort.
Of all the people who have ever yelled at me, Sen. Apodaca did it with the most class.
Apodaca balances gruffness with humor.
Despite his place in the Senate's conservative leadership, Apodaca is more pragmatist than ideologue. He's a self-styled "chamber of commerce Republican" whose personal politics reflect his background as an entrepreneur who has started businesses from insurance to travel.
Apodaca was elected to the Senate in 2002. At the start of his second term in 2005, he became deputy to Berger, then minority leader. When Republicans took over in 2011, Berger elevated him to Rules Committee chairman.
Some say the flurry of departures points to the need for changes in a legislature that this year held its longest session in more than a decade – 260 calendar days.
North Carolina is one of only 11 states with no limit on their regular sessions. It's a part-time legislature that pays members accordingly. Most members make $13,951 a year with a monthly expense allowance of $559.
David McLennan, a political scientist at Meredith College, said the legislature can be grueling.