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Joe John

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Joe John
Image of Joe John

Democratic Party

Prior offices
North Carolina House of Representatives District 40
Successor: Phil Rubin
Predecessor: Marilyn Avila

Education

Bachelor's

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Graduate

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Law

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Personal
Birthplace
East Chicago, Ind.
Religion
Christian
Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Joe John (Democratic Party) was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 40. He assumed office on January 1, 2017. He left office on January 19, 2025.

John (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the North Carolina House of Representatives to represent District 40. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Joe John resigned on January 19, 2025, and passed away shortly after.

Biography

Joe John was born in East Chicago, Indiana. He earned an undergraduate degree after studying at Belmon Abbey College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. John also earned M.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to serving as a state representative, John worked as an attorney with Greensboro Legal Aid Foundation, assistant district attorney and a chief assistant district attorney with the North Carolina 18th Judicial District, attorney in private practice with Pell, Pell, Weston & John, as a district court judge and a superior court judge for the North Carolina 18th Judicial District, a North Carolina Court of Appeals judge, a director of hearings and deputy commissioner for the North Carolina DMV, and as a director for the State of North Carolina Crime Laboratory.[1]

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

John was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

John was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

John was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

North Carolina committee assignments, 2017
• Appropriations
• Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety
• Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs
• Insurance
• Judiciary II
• State and Local Government II

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2024

See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40

Incumbent Joe John defeated Jerry Doliner and Michael Munger in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Joe John
Joe John (D)
 
62.3
 
32,983
Image of Jerry Doliner
Jerry Doliner (R) Candidate Connection
 
34.6
 
18,332
Image of Michael Munger
Michael Munger (L)
 
3.0
 
1,612

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 52,927
Candidate Connection = 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 Joe John advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Jerry Doliner advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Michael Munger advanced from the Libertarian primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40.

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for John in this election.

2022

See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40

Incumbent Joe John defeated Marilyn Avila and Michael Nelson in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Joe John
Joe John (D)
 
54.8
 
24,630
Image of Marilyn Avila
Marilyn Avila (R)
 
42.8
 
19,224
Image of Michael Nelson
Michael Nelson (L)
 
2.5
 
1,111

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 44,965
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40

Incumbent Joe John defeated Marguerite Creel in the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Joe John
Joe John
 
74.1
 
5,520
Image of Marguerite Creel
Marguerite Creel Candidate Connection
 
25.9
 
1,929

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 7,449
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Marilyn Avila advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Michael Nelson advanced from the Libertarian primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40.

Campaign finance

2020

See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40

Incumbent Joe John defeated Gerard Falzon in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Joe John
Joe John (D) Candidate Connection
 
56.5
 
31,837
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Gerard Falzon (R) Candidate Connection
 
43.5
 
24,545

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 56,382
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Joe John advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Gerard Falzon advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40.

Campaign finance

2018

See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40

Incumbent Joe John defeated Marilyn Avila and David Ulmer in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Joe John
Joe John (D)
 
51.2
 
24,193
Image of Marilyn Avila
Marilyn Avila (R)
 
45.0
 
21,256
Image of David Ulmer
David Ulmer (L)
 
3.7
 
1,767

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 47,216
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40

Incumbent Joe John advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
✔
Image of Joe John
Joe John

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40

Marilyn Avila advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 40 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
✔
Image of Marilyn Avila
Marilyn Avila

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016.[2] The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.[3]

Joe John defeated incumbent Marilyn Avila in the North Carolina House of Representatives District 40 general election.[4][5]

North Carolina House of Representatives, District 40 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Joe John 50.41% 23,786
     Republican Marilyn Avila Incumbent 49.59% 23,402
Total Votes 47,188
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections


Joe John ran unopposed in the North Carolina House of Representatives District 40 Democratic primary.[6][7]

North Carolina House of Representatives, District 40 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Joe John  (unopposed)


Incumbent Marilyn Avila ran unopposed in the North Carolina House of Representatives District 40 Republican primary.[8][9]

North Carolina House of Representatives, District 40 Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Republican Green check mark transparent.png Marilyn Avila Incumbent (unopposed)


Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Joe John did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Joe John did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Candidate Connection

Joe John completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by John's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

An attorney by profession, I am a senior citizen who has previously served for over 25 years as a North Carolina trial and appellate court Judge as well as for several years as Deputy Commissioner of the NCDMV and Director of the State Crime Laboratory. Consequently, I am the first person in our State's history to come to the General Assembly, the legislative branch of government, after substantial experience at the highest levels of both the judicial and executive branches. I am a husband, parent of 3 children and grandparent of 6. My non-political passion and favorite sport is baseball, and I am an avid reader.
  • I am a father and grandfather who has experience in all 3 branches of state government.
  • As a former judge, I gather all the evidence possible and weigh the pros and cons before making a legislative decision.
  • North Carolina has prospered when governed from the middle, and not from agenda-driven extremes of the right or left.
1) An independent, non-partisan redistricting commission to draw legislative and Congressional districts in North Carolina.

2) A thoroughly independent judicial branch of North Carolina government, selected in non-partisan elections.

3) An educational system which, from top to bottom, truly meets its state constitutional obligation to provide each child a sound basic education.
Integrity, open-mindedness and transparency.
I would like to leave the legacy of a good, loving, respectful parent of my children in our respective relationships from childhood to today in adulthood, and of a dedicated, hard-working public servant who always acted in the best interests of the citizens of North Carolina.
Summer job as bagger and stock clerk in a local grocery store.
Yes. I regularly apply my prior judicial and executive branch experience to matters I deal with as a legislator.
Yes. Although it can be difficult to engage certain individuals because of their personality or rigid partisanship, I have found that most legislators of every persuasion are well-meaning and well-intentioned persons whose primary goal is the public good. Keeping an open mind and approaching them in a respectful manner can often lead to a meeting of the minds which benefits North Carolina citizens.
No. My life in public service will conclude with my service as a member of the North Carolina House.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2016

John's campaign website highlighted the following issues:

“

Courts

  • Swift justice in the criminal courts and the prompt resolution of litigation in the civil courts, where business disputes, domestic cases and other law suits are decided, have become seriously jeopardized.
  • It is time to recognize the judicial branch of our state government as a co-equal partner with the legislative and executive branches.

Education

  • A strong educational system, from the beginning years to the community college and university levels, is absolutely essential, not only to allowing our children to develop their natural abilities to the fullest, but to promoting and supporting a robust economic and business climate in North Carolina.
  • Recent studies indicate that the emerging job market in our state will require post high school training and skills. As the proud father of three children educated in North Carolina schools and, more importantly for the years to come, the doting grandfather of a young girl at the very early stages of the education process, I believe in maintaining a high quality and connected educational environment so that all North Carolina’s children may be prepared for the jobs of the future.

Independent Redistricting

  • I believe it is time for a fresh approach, a common sense approach that puts aside divisive finger-pointing and name-calling, and which is dedicated to governing responsibly and to meeting the needs of our North Carolina families. I strongly support establishment of an independent Nonpartisan Redistricting Commission.[10]
 ”
—Joe John[11]

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Joe John campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* North Carolina House of Representatives District 40Won general$38,279 $22,471
2022North Carolina House of Representatives District 40Won general$139,431 $101,664
2020North Carolina House of Representatives District 40Won general$102,659 N/A**
2016North Carolina House of Representatives, District 40Won $274,965 N/A**
Grand total$555,334 $124,135
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Endorsements

2016

In 2016, John's endorsements included the following:[12]

  • Sierra Club
  • North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ)
  • North Carolina League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV)
  • Triangle Labor Council AFL-CIO
  • Equality NC
  • State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC)
  • North Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance PAC (NCCEBA)
  • Main Street Democrats
  • North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE)

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in North Carolina

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of North Carolina scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.


2024


2023


2022


2021


2020


2019


2018


2017





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External links

Candidate

North Carolina House of Representatives District 40
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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 18, 2020
    2. ↑ The primary for U.S. congressional elections was rescheduled to June 7, 2016, following legal challenges to North Carolina's district maps. State races were unaffected.
    3. ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 Candidate Filing," accessed December 22, 2015
    4. ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Listing," accessed August 23, 2016
    5. ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 General Election results lookup," accessd December 21, 2016
    6. ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Listing," accessed January 4, 2016
    7. ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "03/15/2016 Official primary results - Statewide," March 15, 2016
    8. ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Listing," accessed January 4, 2016
    9. ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "03/15/2016 Official primary results - Statewide," March 15, 2016
    10. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    11. ↑ Joe John NC House, "Issues," accessed September 23, 2016
    12. ↑ Joe John NC House, "Endorsements," accessed September 23, 2016

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Marilyn Avila (R)     		North Carolina House of Representatives District 40
    2017-2025    		 Succeeded by
    Phil Rubin (D)


    Current members of the North Carolina House of Representatives
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    Speaker of the House:Destin Hall
    Majority Leader:Brenden Jones
    Minority Leader:Robert Reives
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