Howard Jacque Hunter III is a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives who represented the state's 5th House district (including constituents in Gates, Hertford, and Pasquotank counties) from 2015 to 2023. A Democrat, Hunter was first elected to the legislature in 2014. He was re-elected in 2016, 2018, and 2020, but he lost re-election in 2022.[1]
Hunter is the son of the late Rep. Howard J. Hunter Jr. and is the nephew of former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy.[2]
Electoral history
2020
North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district Democratic primary election, 2020[4]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
|
Democratic |
Howard Hunter III (incumbent) |
6,359 |
67.48% |
|
Democratic |
Keith Rivers |
3,064 |
32.52% |
| Total votes |
9,423 |
100% |
North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district general election, 2020[5]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
|
Democratic |
Howard Hunter III (incumbent) |
20,061 |
56.71% |
|
Republican |
Donald Kirkland |
15,314 |
43.29% |
| Total votes |
35,375 |
100% |
|
Democratic hold |
2018
North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district general election, 2018[6]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
|
Democratic |
Howard Hunter III (incumbent) |
15,206 |
59.92% |
|
Republican |
Phillip Smith |
10,172 |
40.08% |
| Total votes |
25,378 |
100% |
|
Democratic hold |
2016
North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district general election, 2016[7]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
|
Democratic |
Howard Hunter III (incumbent) |
25,961 |
100% |
| Total votes |
25,961 |
100% |
|
Democratic hold |
2014
North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district Democratic primary election, 2014[8]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
|
Democratic |
Howard Hunter III |
5,248 |
58.89% |
|
Democratic |
Annie Mobley (incumbent) |
3,664 |
41.11% |
| Total votes |
8,912 |
100% |
North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district general election, 2014[9]
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
|
Democratic |
Howard Hunter III |
14,430 |
68.55% |
|
Republican |
Sidney Pierce III |
6,620 |
31.45% |
| Total votes |
21,050 |
100% |
|
Democratic hold |
Committee assignments
[10]
2021-2022 session
- Agriculture
- Transportation
- Health
- Ethics
- Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee
- Finance
- Families, Children, and Aging Policy Committee (Chair)
2019-2020 session
- Appropriations
- Appropriations - Information Technology Committee
- Agriculture (Vice Chair)
- Transportation
- Health
- Ethics
- Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
2017-2018 session
- Appropriations
- Appropriations - Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources
- Agriculture
- Elections and Ethics Law
- Transportation
- Education - K-12
- Health
- University Board of Governors Nominations
2015-2016 session
- Appropriations
- Appropriations - Health and Human Services
- Agriculture
- Commerce and Job Development
- Elections
- Judiciary IV
- Transportation
