Endorsement: Our choice among strong primary candidates for NC attorney general | Opinion

There are few political observers who believe that Democrat Jeff Jackson doesn’t have a higher office in mind eventually than North Carolina attorney general. He’s a star in his party inside and outside the state, one whom North Carolina Republicans feared enough to draw out of his U.S. House seat last year. So Jackson is running for attorney general instead. He has the smarts and experience to do the job well. He also has a Democratic primary opponent who can say the same.

Satana Deberry would bring strong experience to the Attorney General’s office. She’s served two terms as Durham’s district attorney, and she’s been a criminal defense attorney in her hometown of Hamlet and general counsel for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Deberry also is well regarded — she’s the recipient of the North Carolina Justice Center’s 2020 Defender of Justice Award for Litigation and Attorney General Josh Stein’s Dogwood Award.

Deberry and Jackson are running to succeed Stein, a Democrat who’s running for governor. The attorney general primary also includes attorney and Marine Corps veteran Tim Dunn of Fayetteville, who has run unsuccessfully twice for Congress.

Deberry and Jackson are each solidly progressive in words and actions. As district attorney, Deberry stopped prosecuting nonviolent drug offenses, and she’s worked toward ensuring the Durham County jail houses inmates who are a safety risk and not detained simply due to poverty, substance use or mental illness. Jackson, a former assistant DA in Gaston County, says he worked as a lawmaker to decrease unnecessary charges and arrests and improve the state’s expungement laws. He also continues to be a vocal advocate for voting rights and reproductive rights, two issues the NC attorney general’s office has recently advocated for and likely will continue to confront.

Those battles highlight one of the most important considerations for Democratic primary voters. The winner of this race will go on to face Republican Dan Bishop, an election denier and abortion rights opponent who is running unopposed in the GOP primary. Electability is critical for Democrats, and both Deberry and Jackson have a case to make.

Deberry told the editorial board that she is the candidate who can best energize Black voters, a constituency the party needs to turn out for this race and others on the ballot. Her record as a DA is strong — she’s done exemplary work in clearing the city’s rape kit backlog and pursuing sexual assault cold cases, and her office has had good success with homicide cases. One ding that Bishop would be sure to mention in a general election: Deberry changed content on her campaign web site in 2018 after accusations she plagiarized from progressive Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner.

Jackson certainly would be a strong general election candidate. He’d be deft at parrying Republican/Bishop attacks via his disarmingly direct communications with voters. He’s already shown an uncommon ability of confronting attacks without letting himself or his message be overly reactive. Those skills — including the Tik Tok videos that Bishop derides — have helped bring Jackson superior name recognition, a substantial fundraising advantage, and the backing of many prominent Democrats. His experience as a lawmaker, both in the state legislature and in Congress, also qualifies him for a leadership role that often resembles the legislature or governor’s office more than a DA’s office.

We think Deberry and Jackson each would be a smart, strong attorney general who stands up for the rights of all North Carolinians. But we believe Jackson has the best chance of getting to that office — and preventing a dangerous Republican from doing so. We endorse Jackson.

This story was originally published February 24, 2024 at 6:00 AM.