Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued a statement following the death of former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt. In his remarks, Jackson recalled their first meeting and reflected on Hunt’s approach to public service.
“The first time I met Governor Jim Hunt, I made a joke about how I had once been a very low-ranking soldier.
“He immediately grabbed me by the wrist and said, firmly, ‘And that’s who you’re fighting for, Jeff – people who are on the bottom, but are trying to move up!’
“I’ve never forgotten that moment, because it captured him perfectly. He believed public service meant looking out for the little guy, finding ways to move everyone up, and leading with compassion.
“That same spirit showed up in personal ways, too. I never saw him happier than when he was campaigning for his daughter, Rachel. He was her star volunteer. I once saw him tell a voter, “Yes, it’s really me – now you need to vote for my daughter!” I know she made him incredibly proud with her public service.
“And even after he’d done everything he’d done – after all the offices, all the accomplishments – he kept doing the small, human things that make leadership real. He used to cut out newspaper clippings and send them to me. Most were about early childhood education – one of his central legacies as Governor. I always read them, and I always showed them to my wife, just to let her know I was pen pals with the Governor.
“In the coming days, it’s going to be difficult to summarize everything he accomplished for our state, everything he meant to people.
“But it isn’t going to be hard to sum him up as a person:
“He was simply a great joy to be around, and he really cared about people, and he had a vision for ways he could bring people together to do big things that would serve them well.
“When that’s your character and you’re given the chance to serve again and again, the impact compounds and the good you can do for people lasts for generations.
“We’re grateful – and we’ll miss him.”
The North Carolina State Executive Attorney General is responsible for preventing crime and assisting law enforcement across North Carolina through services such as legal representation and consumer protection (https://ncdoj.gov/). The office also represents state agencies in court proceedings and criminal appeals (https://ncdoj.gov/), influencing governance throughout North Carolina from its main office in Raleigh (https://ncdoj.gov/). Jeff Jackson currently serves as attorney general (https://ncdoj.gov/).
