Buck Newton

Eldon Sharpe "Buck" Newton III (born July 5, 1968) was a Republican state senator in the North Carolina General Assembly (the state's legislature) representing N.C. District 11 (Wilson and Nash counties).[1] Newton won his seat in the 2010 election by defeating the Democratic incumbent, Albin B. Swindell.[2]

Buck Newton
Member of the North Carolina Senate
from the 11th district
In office
January 5, 2011 – January 11, 2017
Preceded byA. B. Swindell
Succeeded byRick Horner
Personal details
Born
Eldon Sharpe Newton III

(1968-07-05) July 5, 1968
Wilson, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceWilson, North Carolina
Alma materAppalachian State University
Campbell University
OccupationAttorney

In 2016 Newton was the Republican nominee for North Carolina Attorney General losing to Democrat Josh Stein[3] by 25,000 votes, a 0.5% margin.

Early life and education

A native of Wilson, North Carolina, Newton graduated from Hunt High School before attending Appalachian State University. At A.S.U. he received his bachelor's degree in Political Science.[4]

After college, Buck served as an aide to Senator Jesse Helms on the Foreign Relations Committee in the U.S. Senate.[5]

Newton is also a graduate of the Campbell University School of Law. He has practiced law for 16 years at his firm, Newton and Lee, in Wilson, and became a state legislator in 2010.[6]

State office

From 2007 to 2011, Newton served as the chairman for the Wilson County Republican Party before taking office in the state capital in early 2011, replacing State Senator Albin B. Swindell. [7]

In response to the state's law on LGBT issues Newton, at a conservative rally supporting the North Carolina's House Bill 2 (a.k.a. "HB2"), [8] said “Go home, tell your friends and family who had to work today what this is all about and how hard we must fight to keep our state straight.” [9] In a later interview, Newton said his remarks at the rally were intended to mean “keep men out of the ladies’ room.” [10] Newton has also said that "folks that wave the rainbow flags” need to get used to “the way things have always been in this state.” [11]

Newton ran for the state office of attorney general in 2016 as the official Republican Party nominee. [12] But that November, he lost to Josh Stein, the Democratic nominee. As a consequence, Newton has retired from active state politics.

References
  1. "2011-2012 Report for Sen. E. S. (Buck) Newton". North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research. Archived from the original on 2013-07-22.
  2. Cooper, Geoffrey (November 3, 2010). "Newton ousts longtime legislator Swindell". Rocky Mount Telegram. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  3. Campbell, Colin (June 1, 2015). "NC Sen. Buck Newton launches run for attorney general". The News & Observer. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  4. "Meet Buck Newton". Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  5. Clifton, Brant (May 31, 2015). "Buck Newton: Our next AG?". The Daily Haymaker. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  6. Johnson, Joe (March 1, 2016). "Legislator Faces Prosecutor in GOP Attorney General Primary". Carolina Journal. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  7. Binker, Mark (June 1, 2015). "State Sen. Buck Newton to run for attorney general". WRAL. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  8. Binker, Mark (April 26, 2016). "Newton says Dems 'a little sensitive' in reaction to HB2 comment". WRAL. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  9. Terkel, Amanda (April 26, 2016). "North Carolina Republican Urges People To 'Keep Our State Straight'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  10. Bonner, Lynn (April 26, 2016). "GOP candidate criticized for 'keep our state straight' rally comment explains". The News & Observer. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  11. Tesfaye, Sophia. "North Carolina Republican rallies support for anti-transgender bathroom ban: "Keep our state straight"". Salon. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  12. Campbell, Colin (June 1, 2015). "NC Sen. Buck Newton launches run for attorney general". The News & Observer. Retrieved April 26, 2016.


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