Upon being sworn in on January 1, 2025, Hunt became the first Democrat to hold the lieutenant governor’s office since Walter Dalton left office in 2013. Hunt is the first daughter of a previous lieutenant governor of North Carolina to hold the same position (her father, Jim Hunt, served from 1973-1977). She is also the second female lieutenant governor of North Carolina, after Bev Perdue.
Hunt was first elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2018, after defeating the incumbent Republican incumbent William M. Brawley. The 2018 race was decided by only 68 votes after being one of the most expensive legislative races in the state that year.[7] Hunt was re-elected in 2020 by 9.86% in a rematch against Brawley.[8] In 2022, Hunt was elected to the North Carolina Senate to replace Jeff Jackson who vacated the seat to run for the United States House of Representatives.[2] On November 8, 2022, Hunt defeated Cheryl Russo in the race to represent the 42nd State district.[8]
Tenure
Despite serving in the minority, Hunt helped pass several pieces of bipartisan legislation including clean energy legislation to cut carbon emissions by 70%. Hunt has also co-sponsored bills to codify Roe v. Wade and expand Medicaid.[3][9]
Appropriations on General Government and Information Technology
Judiciary
Pensions and Retirement and Aging
2021–2022 session
Appropriations
Appropriations - Education
Education - Community Colleges (Vice Chair)
Education - K–12
Families, Children, and Aging Policy
Judiciary I
2019–2020 session
Appropriations
Appropriations - Capital
Education - Community Colleges
Agriculture Committee
Families, Children, and Aging Policy
Judiciary
Personal life
Hunt lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is married since August 1, 1994 to Olav Nilender, a physician.[11] Together they have two children.[12][13]
Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
Hunt was officially sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on January 1, 2025. With this position, Hunt is currently the only elected official in North Carolina to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government.[14]
In 2024, Hunt ran as the Democratic nominee for the office of Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. Endorsed by Governor Roy Cooper, she ran on a platform of expanded funding for public education, increased healthcare access, and assistance to small businesses. In the general election she faced Republican political consultant Hal Weatherman. She cast Weatherman as an extremist and opposed more restrictions on abortion, of which Weatherman was in favor. Hunt won the election, becoming the first Democrat to win a North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial race since 2008.[15]
Electoral history
2024
North Carolina Lieutenant Governor general election, 2024[16]
Italics indicate next-in-line of succession for states and territories without a directly elected lieutenant governor or whose lieutenant governor office is vacant:
