RALEIGH — Rep. Marcus Brandon plowed his way along the dull, gray walls of the legislative building, checking room numbers and name plaques every so often to make sure he was headed the right way.

It was a hectic, hot July morning when word got out that legislative leaders might bring a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to a vote during a special legislative session.

“It’s clearly against the principles of the constitution to stick your personal beliefs in it,” Brandon said as he checked a sheaf of papers, looking for his next destination. With seven months of legislating behind him, he is better known for his stances on education and the Voting Rights Act.

Some of Brandon’s closest friends at the General Assembly are Republicans.

“He’s a good thinker,” said Rep. Tom Murry, a Republican from Raleigh who co-sponsored legislation with Brandon and Rep. John Blust of Greensboro to reduce paperwork handled by teachers.

“He thinks through things in a very mature way and approaches issues from not a partisan perspective but, ‘How is this going to affect folks in my district?’”