Note: this is an edited version if a previous story that contained an error.
Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt presided over the opening session of the N.C. State Senate Jan. 8 in her role as ex officio president.
During the session, Hunt delivered remarks outlining her vision for bettering the lives of North Carolinians and the importance of ensuring civility, respect and dignity in the chamber.
She follows in the footsteps of her father, Jim Hunt, the political scion who served as lt. governor and four terms as governor. Former First Lady Carolyn Hunt and the former governor joined their daughter for the special session. The date was more than 50 years but almost to the day from when Jim Hunt took the gavel as the state’s second and president of the senate.
Former Lieutenant Governor and four-term North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt and former First Lady of North Carolina Carolyn Hunt were present to see their daughter preside over the State Senate over 50 years after Lt. Gov. Hunt stepped into the same role.
“I am so proud of my daughter for continuing her fight for North Carolina in the office I first held over fifty years ago,” said Hunt. “We live in the best state in the nation and I know Rachel will keep up the work to champion public education, good-paying jobs and hardworking families.”
Lt. Gov. Hunt repeatedly referenced her father’s years in the governor’s mansion in her remarks. She also pushed some of the same principles that were a hallmark of all of her father’s campaigns, including his unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate.
“As my dad did, I believe in the great promise of North Carolina. From my years attending our strong public schools and universities, I believe in the chance for every student to succeed and get a high-quality education no matter where they live,” she said. “From growing up on the farm in Rock Ridge, I believe in the importance of good-paying jobs for hardworking families and supporting our rural communities. And from my work fighting for women and children in the courtroom and this very state legislature, I believe in strengthening child care and defending women’s health care.”
This is Hunt’s first time holding statewide elected office. She was elected to the State House District 103 in both 2018 and 2020 and elected to the State Senate District 42 in 2022. The Democrat drew criticism from conservatives and Republicans during the 2024 elections for a commercial against then-Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.
The commercial was considered by some to have racist overtones, since Robinson is black and Hunt joked that she would be using hydrogen peroxide to clean his former office. Robinson was defeated by Democrat Gov. Josh Stein after posts attributed to him from a black pornographic website were released. Robinson has continued to deny making the posts, and is suing the Stein campaign and CNN for releasing the posts.
Hunt has also been called a “champion” of abortion rights, and an opponent of new laws restricting abortions in North Carolina.
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