Jim Davis (North Carolina politician)

Jim Davis
Member of the North Carolina Senate
from the 50th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2011
Preceded by John J. Snow, Jr.
Personal details
Born James Wayland Davis
January 7, 1947
Lynchburg, Virginia
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Judy
Residence Franklin, North Carolina
Alma mater M.S., D.D.S. Loma Linda University
B.A. Southern Adventist University
Profession Orthodontist
Religion Seventh-day Adventist
Website www.jimdavisforsenate.com

James Wayland "Jim" Davis (born January 7, 1947) is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly. He represents the Senate's fiftieth district, which includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Transylvania counties.[1]

Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Davis earned his bachelor's degree from Southern Missionary College, now Southern Adventist University in 1969, and earned his DDS degree from Loma Linda University's School of Dentistry in 1974. In 1989, he graduated from Loma Linda with his MS in orthodontics.

Davis defeated three term incumbent John J. Snow, Jr. in the 2010 election by 199 votes.[2] Davis's campaign benefited from large expenditures from two outside special interest groups, Real Jobs NC and Civitas Action. In one ad run by Real Jobs NC, Davis's opponent was attacked for voting for a pier with an aquarium on the North Carolina coast. The ad presented the project as a "luxury pier" that was a wasteful scheme of Davis's opponent.[3] However, the ad failed to note that the pier was approved by every member of the North Carolina House and Senate who voted. Another mailing criticized Davis's opponent for “wasting our tax dollars,” citing his vote to “spend $218,000 on a Shakespeare festival,” but the mailing failed to note that this sum represented a budget cut for the program, which had been funded by the legislature since 1999. [4] Another mailing, which was sponsored by the North Carolina Republican Party, featured a photograph of Henry Lee McCollum, a menacing-looking African-American convict on death row, who, along with three other men, were accused of raping and murdering an eleven-year-old girl. After describing McCollum’s alleged crimes in lurid detail, the mailing noted, “Thanks to arrogant State Senator John Snow, McCollum could soon be let off of death row.” Davis's opponent, in fact, supported the death penalty and had prosecuted murder cases. But, in 2009, he had helped pass a new state law, the Racial Justice Act, that enabled judges to reconsider a death sentence if a convict could prove that the jury’s verdict had been tainted by racism. The law was an attempt to address the overwhelming racial disparity in capital sentences. [5] McCollum was later acquitted of the charges on the basis of DNA evidence. [6]

Davis serves as the Co-chair of the Committee on Appropriations on General Government and Information Technology, and as Co-chair of the State and Local Government committee.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Sen. James (Jim) Wayland Davis". North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  2. ↑ Pig, Thunder (November 3, 2010). "Thunder Pig: Jim Davis Wins Close Race For NC Senate #50 Seat". Thunderpigblog.blogspot.com. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  3. ↑ Sale, State for (October 10, 2011). "State for Sale publisher=newyorker.com". Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  4. ↑ Sale, State for (October 10, 2011). "State for Sale publisher=newyorker.com". Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  5. ↑ Sale, State for (October 10, 2011). "State for Sale publisher=newyorker.com". Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  6. ↑ Evidence, DNA (September 2, 2014). "DNA Evidence Clears Two Men in 1983 Murder publisher=nytimes.com". Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  7. ↑ NC General Assembly webmasters. "North Carolina General Assembly - Senator Jim Davis (Republican, 2011-2012 Session)". Ncleg.net. Retrieved May 18, 2012.

External links