Buck Newton | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 4th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Toby Fitch |
| Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 11th district | |
| In office January 5,2011 –January 11,2017 | |
| Preceded by | A. B. Swindell |
| Succeeded by | Rick Horner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Eldon Sharpe Newton III July 5,1968 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Hope |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Wilson,North Carolina |
| Alma mater | Appalachian State University (BS) Campbell University (JD) |
| Occupation | Attorney |
Eldon Sharpe "Buck" Newton III (born July 5,1968) is an American lawyer and politician who serves as a Republican state senator in the North Carolina General Assembly (the state's legislature) representing N.C. Senate District 4 (Wilson,Greene and Wayne counties). [1] Newton originally won a seat in the North Carolina Senate in the 2010 election by defeating the Democratic incumbent,Albin B. Swindell. [2] [3]
In 2016,Newton was the Republican nominee for North Carolina Attorney General,losing to Democrat Josh Stein [4] by 25,000 votes,a 0.5% margin.
In 2022,Newton won a seat in North Carolina Senate District 4,defeating incumbent Democrat Toby Fitch by a 16 point margin. [5]
A native of Wilson,North Carolina,Newton graduated from Hunt High School. He received his bachelor's degree in political science from Appalachian State University. [6] After college,Newton was an aide to Senator Jesse Helms on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. [7]
Newton is a graduate of the Campbell University School of Law. He has practiced law for 16 years at his firm,Newton and Lee,in Wilson. [8]
From 2007 to 2011,Newton served as the chairman for the Wilson County Republican Party before taking office in the state capital in early 2011,replacing State Senator Albin B. Swindell. [9]
In response to the state's law on LGBT issues Newton,at a conservative rally supporting the North Carolina's House Bill 2 (a.k.a. "HB2"), [10] said “Go home,tell your friends and family who had to work today what this is all about and how hard we must fight to keep our state straight.” [11] In a later interview,Newton said his remarks at the rally were intended to mean “keep men out of the ladies’room.” [12] Newton has also said that "folks that wave the rainbow flags”need to get used to “the way things have always been in this state.” [13]
Newton ran as the Republican candidate for the North Carolina Attorney General election in 2016, [14] but lost to Josh Stein,the Democratic nominee.
He was elected to the State Senate again in 2022,defeating incumbent Senator Toby Fitch. [15]
In 2024,Newton sponsored legislation to prohibit the wearing of masks in public. His legislation made no exception for wearing masks for health reasons. [16]