NORTH CAROLINA, USA — North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is running for governor, which means there will be a new top prosecutor in the state. The Tar Heel will hold its primary elections on March 5, the same day as Virginia.
For the Democrats, Satana Deberry, Tim Dunn, and Jeff Jackson are competing in the March primary to become the state's next attorney general. There will not be a Republican primary because Congressman Dan Bishop is running unopposed for the party's nomination.
That sets up a potential face-off between two U.S. representatives if Jackson wins the Democratic nod.
Jackson, a Charlotte-area congressman, put his name in the race the day after state lawmakers redrew his district to favor Republicans, which he called "political corruption."
"As attorney general, I would be maximally aggressive in defending your right to vote, which gerrymandering undermines," Jackson told 13News Now.
The former prosecutor, state senator, and war veteran says North Carolina must take a stronger stand on the fentanyl epidemic.
"We have to crack down on distribution, but we also have to make sure we're helping people get their addiction treated," Jackson said.
Jackson said the state must ensure law enforcement focuses on identifying and dismantling distribution cells smuggled into North Carolina. He also said the attorney general must work with the state legislature to make funding available for treatment.
Satana Deberry is the current district attorney in Durham.
"The two top issues in this election for attorney general are reproductive rights and voting rights," Deberry told 13News Now.
If she wins, she will become the first Black woman elected attorney general in the state's history.
"What the people of North Carolina can count on is for me to show the political courage to stand up for what is right," Deberry said.
She also said she would pursue environmental and consumer protection.
In Durham County, Deberry said she has worked with the courts to forgive $2.7 million in fines and fees so people can regain their driver's licenses, which she said is one of the largest drivers of poverty in underserved and rural communities.
"That is huge because people have access to jobs and education," Deberry said.
Fayetteville-based attorney Tim Dunn served in the Marine Corps and was a federal prosecutor.
He says his top priority is supporting and defending the Constitution.
"With those constitutional rights are the civil rights, how we treat each other, how we treat less fortunate individuals; how we treat minorities; under the law how we treat women, women's reproductive rights and children," Dunn said.
Dunn said he would petition for the state's juvenile justice division to be placed under the attorney general's office, and he would pursue legal action to protect the state's access to clean water like Stein, the current North Carolina attorney general.
"We've got to hold these corporate entities accountable for what they do to our drinking water. That's our sustenance. That's how we live," said Dunn.
If elected, Dunn said he would keep Stein's policies in place for the first 90 days while his team reviews them.
Dunn strongly opposes what he calls "racial gerrymandering" in the state house and senate districts.
"I am going to administer justice," Dunn said.
All three candidates said they would push back on issues they believe violate the rights of North Carolinians.
"I will not make that decision if I am just personally against the laws that the general assembly passes, but I will look at it from a legal standpoint, a legal analysis, a constitutional analysis [...] and make that decision," Dunn said. "In that analysis, if I feel the law is constitutional, I will not enforce them. I will not represent the state in courts."
"It's my job to stand up for people, and my job to defend the constitution. So, if the state legislature does something I believe is unconstitutional, that's a major problem," Jackson said.
"My job is to protect the people of North Carolina and their constitutional rights," said Deberry.
North Carolina voters have not elected a Republican attorney general in over 100 years. In that timeframe, only one member of the GOP had served in the role, and he was appointed by the then-governor in 1974.
March 2 is the last day for in-person early voting in the Tar Heel state. It's also the deadline to register and vote on the same day.