Henson Perrymoore Barnes (November 18, 1934–November 22, 2015) was an American politician, businessman, and lawyer.

Under Barnes, that position's power increased at the expense of the Lieutenant Governor, who holds the title of President of the Senate.

Shortly after his retirement from the Senate, Barnes published a history of the legislature, A Work in Progress: The North Carolina General Assembly (1993).

Following service in the United States Army, Barnes was educated at Wilmington College (now UNC-Wilmington) for two years before earning his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and juris doctor degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

After retiring from the senate he moved to White Lake, North Carolina, where he continued to live and operate the family blueberry farm.