Jim Hunt

Jim Hunt
Official portrait, c. 1993–2001
69th and 71st Governor of North Carolina
In office
January 9, 1993 – January 6, 2001
LieutenantDennis Wicker
Preceded byJames G. Martin
Succeeded byMike Easley
In office
January 8, 1977 – January 5, 1985
LieutenantJames C. Green
Preceded byJames Holshouser
Succeeded byJames G. Martin
27th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
In office
January 5, 1973 – January 8, 1977
GovernorJames Holshouser
Preceded byHoyt Patrick Taylor Jr.
Succeeded byJames C. Green
Personal details
BornJames Baxter Hunt Jr.
(1937-05-16)May 16, 1937
DiedDecember 18, 2025(2025-12-18) (aged 88)
PartyDemocratic
Spouse
(m. 1958)
Children4, including Rachel and Baxter
Education

James Baxter Hunt Jr. (May 16, 1937 – December 18, 2025) was an American politician and attorney who was the 69th and 71st governor of North Carolina (1977–1985, and 1993–2001). He was the longest-serving governor in the state's history.

Hunt was tied with former Ohio governor Jim Rhodes for the sixth-longest gubernatorial tenure in post-Constitutional U.S. history at 5,838 days. His daughter is current North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt.

Under his guidance, the North Carolina Democratic Party outperformed expectations in state politics from Ronald Reagan's presidency through the 1990s.