Jim O'Neill
Jim O'Neill (Republican Party) is the North Carolina 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney. He assumed office in 2009. His current term ends on December 31, 2026.
O'Neill (Republican Party) ran for election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. He lost in the Republican primary runoff on May 14, 2024.
Biography
Jim O'Neill earned a degree from Duke University and a J.D. from New York Law School. O'Neill's career experience includes working as the Forsyth County district attorney and an assistant district attorney in Forsyth County.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2024
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
Rachel Hunt, Hal Weatherman, Wayne Jones, and Shannon Bray are running in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | Rachel Hunt (D)  | |
 | Hal Weatherman (R) | |
 | Wayne Jones (Constitution Party) | |
 | Shannon Bray (L) | |
| ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jason Nicholson (Independent)
- Dee Watson (L)
Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
Hal Weatherman defeated Jim O'Neill in the Republican primary runoff for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Hal Weatherman | 74.3 | 96,600 |
 | Jim O'Neill | 25.7 | 33,448 | |
| Total votes: 130,048 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
Rachel Hunt defeated Ben Clark and Mark H. Robinson in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rachel Hunt | 70.4 | 477,196 |
 | Ben Clark | 16.5 | 111,836 | |
 | Mark H. Robinson | 13.2 | 89,247 | |
| Total votes: 678,279 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Chris Rey (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Hal Weatherman | 19.6 | 181,818 |
| ✔ | | Jim O'Neill | 15.8 | 147,042 |
 | Deanna Ballard | 15.0 | 138,822 | |
 | Seth Woodall | 11.0 | 102,492 | |
 | Sam Page | 10.2 | 94,810 | |
 | Allen Mashburn | 9.0 | 83,550 | |
 | Jeffrey Elmore | 8.6 | 79,883 | |
 | Peter Boykin | 3.5 | 32,126 | |
 | Rivera Douthit | 2.5 | 23,398 | |
 | Ernest Reeves | 2.5 | 22,760 | |
 | Marlenis Hernandez Novoa | 2.3 | 21,404 | |
| Total votes: 928,105 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Dee Watson advanced from the Libertarian primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
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2022
See also: Municipal elections in Forsyth County, North Carolina (2022)
General election
General election for North Carolina 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney
Incumbent Jim O'Neill defeated Denise S. Hartsfield in the general election for North Carolina 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim O'Neill (R) | 51.0 | 67,781 |
 | Denise S. Hartsfield (D) | 49.0 | 65,071 | |
| Total votes: 132,852 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Denise S. Hartsfield advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Jim O'Neill advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney.
2020
See also: North Carolina Attorney General election, 2020
North Carolina Attorney General election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)
North Carolina Attorney General election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for Attorney General of North Carolina
Incumbent Josh Stein defeated Jim O'Neill in the general election for Attorney General of North Carolina on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Josh Stein (D) | 50.1 | 2,713,400 |
| Jim O'Neill (R) | 49.9 | 2,699,778 | |
| Total votes: 5,413,178 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Josh Stein advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of North Carolina.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of North Carolina
Jim O'Neill defeated Sam Hayes and Christine Mumma in the Republican primary for Attorney General of North Carolina on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim O'Neill | 46.5 | 338,567 |
 | Sam Hayes | 31.1 | 226,453 | |
 | Christine Mumma | 22.3 | 162,301 | |
| Total votes: 727,321 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2018
General election
General election for North Carolina 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney
Incumbent Jim O'Neill won election in the general election for North Carolina 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim O'Neill (R) | 100.0 | 80,810 |
| Total votes: 80,810 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Carolina 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney
Incumbent Jim O'Neill advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Jim O'Neill |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2016
O'Neill filed to run as a Republican candidate for attorney general of North Carolina in the 2016 election. He was defeated by Buck Newton in the Republican primary on March 15, 2016.[2]
| North Carolina Attorney General Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 Buck Newton |
54.9% | 503,880 | ||
| Jim O'Neill | 45.1% | 414,073 | ||
| Total Votes | 917,953 | |||
| Election results via North Carolina State Board of Elections. | ||||
2016 primary
- Main article: Battleground state primaries in North Carolina, 2016
O'Neill characterized his opponent as lacking experience during the primary campaigns. “I have prosecuted every case imaginable under the sun, and hands down, I’m the most battle-tested candidate in the race," he said in February 2016.[3] O'Neill and Newton butted heads in 2014 over legislation backed by Newton that moved the State Bureau of Investigation into the Department of Public Safety. The bureau had previously been under the purview of the attorney general, where O'Neill says it belongs.[4]
"It's a very important agency...and it's very important we remove politics from it," Newton responded on the matter.[4] He also pointed to his experience as a legislator and attorney as preparation for the duties of attorney general, which, he said, do not include prosecution.[4] Newton is a private practice lawyer and was elected to the state senate in 2010.
Below were key endorsements for Newton and O'Neill.[5][6]
| Key endorsements | |
|---|---|
| Newton | O'Neill |
| House Speaker Timothy K. Moore (R) | North Carolina Police Benevolent Association |
| State Senator Kathy Harrington (R) | Charlotte Observer |
| Grass Roots North Carolina | |
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jim O'Neill did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
O'Neill’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
As Lt. Governor, Jim will be tough on crime. Jim is an experienced prosecutor who has spent the past 20 years locking up some of the most dangerous criminals, not letting them back onto the streets. As a prosecutor, Jim has learned the kind of support our law enforcement needs from government officials. Jim understands the daily challenges our law enforcement officials face and will ensure they have everything they need to keep our communities safe. In his last election for District Attorney, Jim’s opponent ran on bringing liberal, progressive justice practices to Forsyth County. Jim won his election and didn't allow the disastrous, pro-crime initiatives to come to Forsyth County, and as Lt. Governor, he won’t allow them to come to North Carolina.
As a prosecutor, Jim has witnessed how criminals plot and execute their crimes. Today, many North Carolina schools are at risk. Currently, state law only requires local law enforcement to provide on-campus security to our public schools. Jim believes this requirement must also be expanded to protect private and faith-based schools. Criminals prey upon the most vulnerable, and leaving many of our schools unprotected is an oversight that must be corrected.
Jim has been a leader in bringing innovative programs to combat substance abuse. Addiction is one of the leading causes of petty crimes across North Carolina. In addition, Jim believes it is time to combat the ills of mental illness and its impact on the safety of our streets and our communities.
|
” |
| —Jim O'Neill’s campaign website (2024)[8] | ||
2022
Jim O'Neill did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Jim O'Neill did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina |
Officeholder North Carolina 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Jim O'Neill, NC Lt. Governor, "Meet Jim O'Neill," accessed February 20, 2024
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Listing 2016/03/15," accessed December 22, 2015
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "Forsyth County DA Jim O'Neill seeks Attorney General; says he's the most qualified," February 26, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 WRAL.com, "Senator, prosecutor seek Republican nod for AG," March 3, 2016
- ↑ The News & Observer, "NC Sen. Buck Newton launches run for attorney general," June 1, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Buck Newton," accessed March 9, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Jim O'Neill’s campaign website, “Issues,” accessed April 18, 2024
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