Four-term North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt, a leader in education reform, dies at 88

Four-term North Carolina Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt, whose influential career shaped the state’s transition from traditional industries to a high-tech economy, died peacefully Thursday at his Wilson County home. He was 88.

The announcement came from his daughter, Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt, who described him as “my beloved daddy and hero” in a statement that highlighted his commitment to public service aimed at expanding opportunity and strengthening communities.

Hunt, widely regarded as a towering figure in North Carolina politics, served an unprecedented 16 years as governor and established himself as a prototype for the modern “education governor.” His influence extended well beyond state borders into national education reform movements of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

“I can think of no one who shaped North Carolina’s recent successes as much as Governor Jim Hunt,” said current Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. Former Gov. Roy Cooper went further, calling Hunt the “greatest Governor in North Carolina history.”

Hunt’s political journey began with his election as governor in 1976. After a constitutional change allowed successive terms, he became the first North Carolina governor elected to consecutive four-year terms. Following a defeat in the 1984 U.S. Senate race against Republican Jesse Helms, Hunt made a remarkable political comeback, winning third and fourth gubernatorial terms in 1992 and 1996.

Throughout his career, Hunt maintained a reputation as a business-oriented progressive, focusing relentlessly on education as the foundation for economic competitiveness. During his tenure as lieutenant governor in the 1970s, he collaborated with Republican Gov. Jim Holshouser to make North Carolina the first state with full-day kindergarten, demonstrating his ability to work across party lines.

In the 1980s, Hunt helped create the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and advocated for standardized testing to enable state-by-state educational comparisons. His return to the governor’s office in the 1990s saw the launch of Smart Start, a nationally recognized early childhood initiative, alongside campaigns for higher teacher pay.

His commitment to education continued after leaving office with the establishment of The Hunt Institute, which trains emerging political leaders nationwide on public education policy.

Former Democratic Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes captured Hunt’s legacy: “If there is one person that is responsible for remaking and reforming education in the nation, particularly in the Southeast and starting with North Carolina, it is Jim Hunt. We will feel the effect of Jim Hunt’s leadership for generations to come.”

Born May 16, 1937, in Greensboro, North Carolina, James Baxter Hunt Jr. grew up on his family’s tobacco and dairy farm in Wilson County. After completing law school, he and his wife Carolyn spent two years in Nepal working with the Ford Foundation before his rapid rise in Democratic politics. By 1968, he was president of the state’s Young Democrats, and four years later, he was elected lieutenant governor.

Hunt’s tenure wasn’t without controversy. During his first term as governor, he commuted the sentences of the “Wilmington 10” – nine Black men and one white woman convicted of a 1971 firebombing during a period of racial unrest. The case had been marked by witness recantations, though full pardons wouldn’t come until 2012.

The 1984 Senate race against conservative firebrand Jesse Helms ended in defeat for Hunt, as Helms’ campaign portrayed him as inconsistent on issues. After returning to private law practice, Hunt orchestrated a political comeback in the early 1990s that temporarily stalled the growing Republican influence in North Carolina.

Even political opponents acknowledged Hunt’s political acumen. In the mid-1990s, he called a special session to address crime and proposed tax cuts larger than Republicans had initially offered. Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis recently described Hunt as “one of the most consequential public servants in North Carolina’s history.”

Hunt remained active in Democratic politics after leaving office in 2001, supporting protégés including Gov. Roy Cooper and Sen. Kay Hagan. He campaigned for Barack Obama in 2012 and for Hillary Clinton and Cooper in 2016.

Even in his 80s, Hunt continued advocating for education, urging Republican legislators to prioritize “big things” for public schools rather than additional tax cuts.

Hunt lived to see his daughter Rachel follow in his political footsteps. After serving in the legislature, she was elected lieutenant governor in 2024, and Hunt was present when she took the Senate president’s gavel in early 2025 – the same role he had filled 52 years earlier.

Memorial information will be announced at a later date.