John J. Snow Jr.

John J. Snow Jr.
Member of the North Carolina Senate
from the 50th district
In office
January 1, 2005 – January 1, 2011
Preceded byBob Carpenter
Succeeded byJim Davis
Personal details
Born(1945-10-24)October 24, 1945
Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedJune 16, 2026(2026-06-16) (aged 80)
Murphy, North Carolina, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
Alma materWake Forest University (BA, JD)
Military service
Branch/service United States Army

John Joyner Snow Jr. (October 24, 1945 – June 16, 2026) was an American politician, attorney and football player who served as a member of the North Carolina Senate, for the 50th district from 2005 to 2011.[1] His district included Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania counties. Snow was the co-chair of the Subcommittee on Justice and Public Safety.

Early life and education

Snow was born in Asheville, North Carolina on October 24, 1945.[1] He grew up in Murphy, North Carolina, and graduated from Murphy High School in 1963.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest University and Juris Doctor from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 1970. Snow was a defensive tackle for Wake Forest University, and was drafted 368th overall in the 15th round of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.[3]

Career

In 1967, Snow served in the United States Army. After law school Snow worked as an Assistant District Attorney. He later served as a District Court Judge from 1976 to 1986 and Chief District Court Judge from 1996 to 2004. He took office as a member of the North Carolina Senate in 2005.[4][5]

Franklin orthodontist Jim Davis defeated Snow in 2010 by a margin of less than 200 votes after Snow was subjected to two dozen mass-mailed negative ads during the election.[6] After the election, it was revealed that many of the mail-outs were funded by groups founded by businessman Art Pope, including Civitas Action and Real Jobs NC.[6] In 2012, Snow ran in a re-match with Davis to return to his former seat in the Senate.[7] He was defeated by a substantial margin of 12,548 votes.[8] A bridge on US 64 East in Murphy was named in Snow's honor.[9]

Personal life and death

Snow was a practicing Christian who served in leadership roles at First United Methodist Church in Murphy, North Carolina.[10] Snow died in Murphy on June 16, 2026, at the age of 80, after suffering dementia.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 "John Snow, Jr.'s Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  2. ↑ "John Snow, 80, former state senator passes away". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Paxton Media Group. 2026-06-24. p. A1.
  3. ↑ "1967 New Orleans Saints Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  4. ↑ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - John J. Snow, Jr". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  5. ↑ "John Snow". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  6. 1 2 Mayer, Jane (2016). Dark Money: the Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right (First ed.). New York: Doubleday. pp. 261–262. ISBN 9780385535595. OCLC 929917321.
  7. ↑ Macon County News: Former NC Senator John Snow announces candidacy for 2012 Archived 2012-03-07 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "John Snow".
  9. ↑ Brown, David (2026-07-01). "Murphy losing a great generation". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Paxton Media Group. p. A5.
  10. ↑ "John Snow". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Paxton Media Group. 2026-06-24. p. A6.
  11. ↑ Hensley, Dean (June 18, 2026). "Former North Carolina state senator, district judge John Snow dies at 80". WLOS.com. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
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