title: Howard J. Hunter III
text: # Howard J. Hunter III
  
  Howard Jacque Hunter III is a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives who represented the state's 5th House district (including constituents in Gates, Hertford, and Pasquotank counties) from 2015 to 2023. A Democrat, Hunter was first elected to the legislature in 2014. He was re-elected in 2016, 2018, and 2020, but he lost re-election in 2022.
  
  Hunter is the son of the late Rep. Howard J. Hunter Jr. and is the nephew of former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy.
  
  ## Electoral history
  
  ### 2022
  
  North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district general election, 2022 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Republican | Bill Ward | 15,784 | 53.83% |
  | | Democratic | Howard Hunter III (incumbent) | 13,539 | 46.17% |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 29,323 | 100% |
  | | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |
  
  ### 2020
  
  North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district Democratic primary election, 2020 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic | Howard Hunter III (incumbent) | 6,359 | 67.48% |
  | | Democratic | Keith Rivers | 3,064 | 32.52% |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,423 | 100% |
  
  North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district general election, 2020 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic | Howard Hunter III (incumbent) | 20,061 | 56.71% |
  | | Republican | Donald Kirkland | 15,314 | 43.29% |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 35,375 | 100% |
  | | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
  
  ### 2018
  
  North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district general election, 2018 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic | Howard Hunter III (incumbent) | 15,206 | 59.92% |
  | | Republican | Phillip Smith | 10,172 | 40.08% |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 25,378 | 100% |
  | | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
  
  ### 2016
  
  North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district general election, 2016 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic | Howard Hunter III (incumbent) | 25,961 | 100% |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 25,961 | 100% |
  | | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
  
  ### 2014
  
  North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district Democratic primary election, 2014 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic | Howard Hunter III | 5,248 | 58.89% |
  | | Democratic | Annie Mobley (incumbent) | 3,664 | 41.11% |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,912 | 100% |
  
  North Carolina House of Representatives 5th district general election, 2014 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic | Howard Hunter III | 14,430 | 68.55% |
  | | Republican | Sidney Pierce III | 6,620 | 31.45% |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21,050 | 100% |
  | | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
  
  ## Committee assignments
  
  ### 2021-2022 session
  
  * Agriculture
  * Transportation
  * Health
  * Ethics
  * Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee
  * Finance
  * Families, Children, and Aging Policy Committee (Chair)
  
  ### 2019-2020 session
  
  * Appropriations
  * Appropriations - Information Technology Committee
  * Agriculture (Vice Chair)
  * Transportation
  * Health
  * Ethics
  * Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  
  ### 2017-2018 session
  
  * Appropriations
  * Appropriations - Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources
  * Agriculture
  * Elections and Ethics Law
  * Transportation
  * Education - K-12
  * Health
  * University Board of Governors Nominations
  
  ### 2015-2016 session
  
  * Appropriations
  * Appropriations - Health and Human Services
  * Agriculture
  * Commerce and Job Development
  * Elections
  * Judiciary IV
  * Transportation
  