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Buck Newton
2023 - Present
2027
2
Eldon Sharpe Newton III (Republican Party) (also known as Buck) is a member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing District 4. He assumed office on January 1, 2023. His current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Newton (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the North Carolina State Senate to represent District 4. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Buck Newton was born in Wilson, North Carolina. Newton graduated from Hunt High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Appalachian State University and a J.D. from Campbell University School of Law. His career experience includes working as an attorney in private practice and owning a small business.[1][2]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes yearly updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org
2023-2024
Newton was assigned to the following committees:
- Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee
- Senate Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety Committee
- Commerce and Insurance Committee
- Education/Higher Education Committee
- Senate Finance Committee, Chair
- Senate Judiciary Committee, Chair
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Redistricting and Elections Committee, Chair
- Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee
- Senate Transportation Committee
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Newton served on the following committees:
| North Carolina committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety, Co-Chairman |
| • Commerce |
| • Education/Higher Education |
| • Finance |
| • Information Technology |
| • Judiciary I, Co-Chairman |
| • Rules and Operations of the Senate |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Newton served on the following committees:
| North Carolina committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety |
| • Commerce |
| • Education/Higher Education |
| • Finance |
| • Judiciary I |
| • Rules and Operations of the Senate |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Newton served on these committees:
| North Carolina committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Commerce |
| • Education/Higher Education |
| • Insurance |
| • Judiciary II |
| • Rules and Operations of the Senate |
Sponsored legislation
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 State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 4
Incumbent Eldon Sharpe Newton III defeated Raymond Smith Jr. in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 4 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Eldon Sharpe Newton III (R) | 55.1 | 55,389 |
 | Raymond Smith Jr. (D)  | 44.9 | 45,096 | |
| Total votes: 100,485 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Raymond Smith Jr. advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 4.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Eldon Sharpe Newton III advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 4.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Newton in this election.
2022
See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 4
Eldon Sharpe Newton III defeated incumbent Milton F. Fitch Jr. in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 4 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Eldon Sharpe Newton III (R) | 57.5 | 38,638 |
 | Milton F. Fitch Jr. (D) | 42.5 | 28,543 | |
| Total votes: 67,181 | |||
| = 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
Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 4
Incumbent Milton F. Fitch Jr. defeated Raymond Smith Jr. in the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 4 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Milton F. Fitch Jr. | 54.5 | 6,994 |
| Raymond Smith Jr. | 45.5 | 5,843 | |
| Total votes: 12,837 | |||
| = 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 State Senate District 4
Eldon Sharpe Newton III defeated Joe Democko in the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 4 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Eldon Sharpe Newton III | 67.6 | 8,728 |
| Joe Democko | 32.4 | 4,181 | ||
| Total votes: 12,909 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign finance
2016
Newton filed to run as a Republican candidate for attorney general of North Carolina in the 2016 election. He defeated Jim O'Neill in the Republican primary on March 15, 2016.[3] He competed with state Sen. Josh Stein (D), who won the Democratic nomination, in the November 8 general election.
Josh Stein defeated Buck Newton in the North Carolina attorney general election.
| North Carolina Attorney General, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Josh Stein |
50.22% | 2,276,410 | |
| Republican | Buck Newton | 49.78% | 2,256,178 | |
| Total Votes | 4,532,588 | |||
| Source: ABC11 | ||||
| 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.[4] 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.[5]
"It's a very important agency...and it's very important we remove politics from it," Newton responded on the matter.[5] 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.[5] Newton is a private practice lawyer and was elected to the state senate in 2010.
Below were key endorsements for Newton and O'Neill.[6][7]
| 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 | |
2014
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 28, 2014. Incumbent E.S. "Buck" Newton was unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.[8][9][10][11]
2012
Newton sought re-election in the 2012 election for North Carolina State Senate District 11. He defeated Dennis Nielson in the Republican primary on May 8 and defeated Clarence A. Bender in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[12][13][14]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | E.S. "Buck" Newton Incumbent |
60.8% | 53,127 | |
| Democratic | Clarence A. Bender | 39.2% | 34,291 | |
| Total Votes | 87,418 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
E.S. "Buck" Newton |
80.5% | 14,344 |
| Dennis Nielsen | 19.5% | 3,477 |
| Total Votes | 17,821 | |
2010
Newton defeated incumbent A. B. Swindell (D) in the general election on November 2.[15]
| North Carolina Senate, General Election Results, District 11 (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| E.S. "Buck" Newton (R)
|
30,266 | 52.88% | ||
| A.B. Swindell (D) | 26,970 | 47.12% | ||
Newton defeated Randall Johnson and Donnie Weaver in the May 4 Republican primary.[16]
| North Carolina State Senate Republican Primary, District 11 (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Eldon Newton
|
2,568 | |||
| Randall Johnson | 1,008 | |||
| Donnie Weaver | 811 | |||
Newton filed a defamation lawsuit against Swindell related to campaign mailers authorized by Swindell and paid for by the N.C. Democratic Party. Newton said Swindell and the NCDP libeled him in the mailer, which stated Newton was arrested and charged with several drug charges including selling cocaine.[17] However, court records show the charges were dropped, because it was a case of mistaken identity.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Eldon Sharpe Newton III did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Eldon Sharpe Newton III did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Newton's campaign website stated that the federal government has violated the sovereignty of North Carolina. He stated his priorities were to protect citizens, their rights, and North Carolinians' "unique way of life."[18]
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.
Scorecards
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
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the North Carolina State Legislature was in session from April 24 to December 13.
|
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the North Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 11 to October 25.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from April 25 through July 1.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 14 through September 30.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the General Assembly of North Carolina will be in session from May 14 through a date to be determined by the legislature.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 9 to July 26.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from May 16 to July 3.
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2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
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In 2011, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 26 to June 18. A special session dealing with redistricting began July 13 and ended July 28.
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Newton currently resides in Wilson, North Carolina.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate North Carolina State Senate District 4 |
Officeholder North Carolina State Senate District 4 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Buck Newton 2022 campaign website, "Meet Buck Newton," accessed March 15, 2023
- ↑ North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus: "Buck Newton, Candidate for North Carolina Senate, District 11"
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 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
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Primary Candidate List Grouped by Contest," accessed March 7, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "General Election Candidate List Grouped by Contest," accessed August 12, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "05/06/2014 Official Primary Election Results - Statewide," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results - Statewide," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina Board of Elections, "Candidate lists," accessed March 5, 2012
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Primary Results, 2012," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, Official Primary Election Results," accessed June18, 2012
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2010 General Election Results," accessed August 14, 2014
- ↑ Official primary results
- ↑ Carolina Journal: N.C. Senate Candidate Sues Opponent
- ↑ Buck Newton, "Homepage," accessed April 10, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Milton F. Fitch Jr. (D) |
North Carolina State Senate District 4 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
North Carolina State Senate District 11 2011-2017 |
Succeeded by - |
