According to unofficial results, Democratic candidate U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson, (NC-14) was elected as the state’s attorney general. During a speech at 11 p.m., his Republican opponent Dan Bishop conceded the race to Jackson.
As of 11:34 p.m. on Tuesday, Jackson had won 51.85 percent of the statewide vote while Bishop had won 48.15 percent.
Jackson previously served as an assistant district attorney in Gaston County where he tried over 100 cases, later becoming a state senator representing Mecklenburg County for eight years. He is also a former veteran and a current Major of the Army National Guard.
Jackson was endorsed by Gov. Roy Cooper, current Attorney General and Gov.-elect Josh Stein, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Political Caucus and the North Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club.
According to his campaign website, Jackson intends to address the fentanyl epidemic, enforce regulations against online scammers and protect veterans and seniors from fraud. He also believes in removing partisanship from the office, prioritizing the voice of the people rather than a party.
Jackson has also been outspoken about corruption in the redistricting process after he was drawn out of his congressional seat during the state legislature's 2023 redistricting cycle.
He recently told The Daily Tar Heel that because North Carolina is so regionally diverse, it is important to be involved in different communities to understand the issues they are each facing.
“Given that the attorney general is the top law enforcement officer for the state, it is especially important that all of our minority communities see themselves represented by that office and feel that our office has their back,” he said. “That's not a level of trust you can assume, that's a level of trust you have to earn.”
