Senator Buck Newton

Eldon Sharpe “Buck” Newton III was born on July 5, 1968, in Wilson, North Carolina. He graduated from Hunt High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science from Appalachian State University. After college, Newton served as an aide to Senator Jesse Helms on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He later attended Campbell University School of Law and has practiced law for over 16 years at his firm, Newton and Lee, in Wilson.

Newton began his political career as the chairman for the Wilson County Republican Party from 2007 to 2011. He then won a seat in the North Carolina Senate in the 2010 election by defeating the Democratic incumbent, Albin B. Swindell. He served as a member of the North Carolina Senate from the 11th district from January 5, 2011, to January 11, 2017.

In 2016, Newton was the Republican nominee for North Carolina Attorney General, but he lost to Democrat Josh Stein by a narrow margin of 25,000 votes, which was a 0.5% difference. Despite this setback, Newton continued his political career and in 2022, he won a seat in North Carolina Senate District 4, defeating incumbent Democrat Toby Fitch by a 16 point margin.

Currently, Newton serves as a Republican state senator in the North Carolina General Assembly, representing N.C. Senate District 4, which includes Wilson, Greene, and Wayne counties. In 2024, Newton sponsored legislation to prohibit the wearing of masks in public, a move that sparked controversy as his legislation made no exception for wearing masks for health reasons.

Newton is known for his conservative stance on various issues. During a rally supporting North Carolina’s House Bill 2 (also known as “HB2”), he made headlines for his remarks, which were interpreted by some as being against the LGBT community. However, in a later interview, Newton clarified that his comments were intended to mean “keep men out of the ladies’ room.”

Despite the controversies, Newton has remained a prominent figure in North Carolina politics. He is currently running for re-election to the North Carolina State Senate to represent District 4, with the general election scheduled for November 5, 2024.