State Sen. Jeff Jackson, D-Mecklenburg, speaks at a campaign event for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Jackson will serve as the state’s next top law enforcement official and at 42, will be one of the youngest state attorneys general in the country.
Jeff Jackson has defeated fellow Congressman Dan Bishop in the race for North Carolina attorney general.
Bishop has called Jackson to concede the race as of 11:11 pm per reporter Tim Boyum on X (formerly Twitter).
This continues a losing streak in state attorney general races for Republicans that dates back to 1896.
Jackson has pledged to defend abortion rights in this role, and has previously said he will continue Josh Stein’s position of not defending aspects of SB 20, the state’s 12-week abortion ban.
When Cardinal & Pine spoke with Jackson earlier this year, he said tackling the fentanyl crisis would be his top priority on day one, and that conversations with local leaders and law enforcement on this issue were already happening.
During the campaign, Jackson highlighted Bishop’s far-right positions throughout his career and urged North Carolina voters not to elect an extremist as the state’s attorney general.
“The attorney general is one of one, and having a political extremist in that position would be an experiment we have never run before as a state, and I think it would be a very dangerous experiment,” he said in June.
The outcome of the race will also have a big impact on LGBTQ rights. In contrast to Bishop, who authored House Bill 2 in 2016, which discriminated against the community, Jackson promises to be a champion for LGBTQ North Carolinians.
Jackson, who is notable for having a large TikTok following and being active on the site, has said he plans to continue using the platform to speak to the public after being sworn in.
Jackson will take office on January 1st.
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