| Rachel Hunt | |
| Office: | Lieutenant Governor-elect of North Carolina |
| Governor: | Josh Stein (elect) |
| Term Start: | January 1, 2025 |
| Succeeding: | Mark Robinson |
| Predecessor: | Mark Robinson |
| State Senate1: | North Carolina |
| District1: | 42nd |
| Term Start1: | January 1, 2023 |
| Predecessor1: | Jeff Jackson (redistricted) |
| Successor1: | Woodson Bradley (elect) |
| State House2: | North Carolina |
| District2: | 103rd |
| Term Start2: | January 1, 2019 |
| Term End2: | January 1, 2023 |
| Predecessor2: | Bill Brawley |
| Successor2: | Laura Budd |
| Birth Date: | 19 May 1965 |
| Birth Place: | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Spouse: | Olav Nilender |
| Children: | 2 |
| Education: | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA) University of South Carolina (JD) |
Rachel H. Hunt (born May 19, 1965) is an American politician. She is a member of the North Carolina State Senate and the lieutenant governor-elect of North Carolina.[1] A Democrat, Hunt was elected in November 2022 to represent the 42nd district based in Mecklenburg County. Before that, Hunt served two terms in the North Carolina House, twice beating Republican Bill Brawley. When she is sworn in on January 1, 2025, Hunt will become the first Democrat elected to the lieutenant governor’s office since Walter Dalton in 2012, The first child of a previous lieutenant governor to hold the same position since Jim Hunt in 1973 and the second female lieutenant governor of North Carolina, after Bev Perdue.
Hunt, the daughter of governor Jim Hunt and his wife Carolyn, was born on May 19, 1965, in Kathmandu, Nepal, where her father was working for the Ford Foundation at the time.[2] [3] She grew up in rural Wilson County, North Carolina, until her father was elected governor in 1976.[2] An attorney and certified college counselor, she is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of South Carolina School of Law.[4]
Hunt was first elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2018, after defeating the incumbent Republican incumbent William M. Brawley. The 2018 race was decided by only 68 votes after being one of the most expensive legislative races in the state that year.[5] Hunt was re-elected in 2020 by 9.86% in a rematch against Brawley. In 2022, Hunt was elected to the North Carolina Senate to replace Jeff Jackson who vacated the seat to run for the United States Senate.[6] On November 8, 2022, Hunt defeated Cheryl Russo in the race to represent the 42nd State district.
Despite serving in the minority, Hunt helped pass several pieces of bipartisan legislation including clean energy legislation to cut carbon emissions by 70%. Hunt has also co-sponsored bills to codify Roe v. Wade and expand Medicaid.[7] [8]
Hunt lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is married since August 1, 1994 to Olav Nilender, a physician.[11] Together they have two children.[12] [13]
See main article: 2024 North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election. In 2024, Hunt ran as the Democratic nominee for the office of Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. Endorsed by Governor Roy Cooper, she ran on a platform of expanded funding for public education, increased healthcare access, and assistance to small businesses. In the general election she faced Republican political operative Hal Weatherman. She cast Weatherman as an extremist and opposed more restrictions on abortion, of which Weatherman was in favor. Hunt won the election, becoming the first Democrat to win a North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial race since 2008.[14]
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