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Jim Hunt, North Carolina’s longest-serving governor, died Thursday at the age of 88.
His daughter, Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt, announced the Democratic leader’s death in a statement on Friday.
“It is with great sadness that I mourn the passing of my beloved father and hero, former Governor Jim Hunt,” she wrote.
“He dedicated his life to serving the people of North Carolina, guided by the belief that public service should expand opportunities, strengthen communities and always put people first. His leadership and compassion left a lasting impact on many across our state.”
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Former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt answers questions from reporters at a hotel in Durham, NC, January 20, 1999. (AP Photo/Bob Jordan)
Hunt served as Governor of North Carolina for a total of 16 years, holding the office from 1977 to 1985 and again from 1993 to 2001. Following a constitutional change allowing consecutive service, he was the only governor in state history to be elected to four terms.
Hunt was widely regarded as the state’s education-focused governor, who made schools and early childhood education a centerpiece of his administration. He is widely known for launching the “Smart Start” initiative in 1993, which provided health and education services to children under the age of five to help them prepare for school.
He also successfully lobbied to raise North Carolina’s teacher salaries above the national average, expanded access to full-day kindergarten across the state, and established the nation’s first public residential high school focused on science and mathematics.
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Former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC on September 5, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
“I can’t think of anyone who has shaped North Carolina’s recent successes as much as Governor Jim Hunt,” North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said in a post on X.
“Governor for 16 years, he was a visionary who established Smart Start, raised teacher pay, protected air quality and created the NC Biotech Center. On a personal level, he was a mentor and dear friend. Anna and I are keeping Carolyn, Rachel and the entire Hunt family in our thoughts and prayers. May Governor Hunt’s memory be a blessing. He was certainly one for North Carolina.”
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Jim Hunt, center, gives a thumbs-up to the House and Senate leadership after signing the 1999-2001 state budget during a ceremony at the Capitol Building in Raleigh, NC, on June 30, 1999. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Former North Carolina political figures also shared their condolences online following Hunt’s death.
“Not only was he the greatest governor in North Carolina history, but he brought a caring and committed purpose to everything he did, especially our children and our schools,” former Gov. Roy Cooper wrote in a post on X.
“I don’t know anyone who has worked harder and had a more positive impact on the people of North Carolina than Jim Hunt. He was a great friend and mentor and I will miss him.”
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Former Republican Governor Pat McCrory said in another post on Facebook:
He said, “Jim Hunt was ‘the Governor’ and the greatest salesman our state ever had.” “To me personally and despite our political differences, he was a mentor and friend during my tenure as mayor, governor and former governor. He will be missed but his spirit and passion for public service will always remain.”
