{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Amara M. Hunter","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Amara Martineque Hunter is the Democratic nominee for North Carolina's 31st Prosecutorial District Attorney, the office that serves Forsyth County. The district attorney is the chief law-enforcement prosecutor for the district, responsible for charging criminal cases, overseeing assistant district attorneys, and ensuring that prosecutions are pursued fairly, efficiently, and in the public interest.\n\nHunter's professional background spans law-enforcement and legal advocacy. Per her Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey and her campaign site, she began her career as a police officer, later served as an Assistant District Attorney, and currently works as a public defender in the Forsyth County Public Defender's Office [1][10].\n\nHer blend of policing, prosecutorial, and defense experience informs her approach to the district attorney's role. Hunter's campaign describes her pledge to serve \"wisely, fairly and with accountability,\" aiming for a balanced perspective that respects victims, upholds the law, and safeguards due process for defendants [10].\n\nHunter's candidacy advanced without a primary contest after the Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. She faces incumbent Republican Jim O'Neill in the November 3, 2026 general election [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Amara Hunter](https://ballotpedia.org/Amara_Hunter)\n- [10] [Amara Hunter](https://www.amarahunter.com/)","firstname":"Amara","lastname":"Hunter","middlename":"Martineque","suffix":null,"token":"5ebbc4a1232cd45f"},"token":"2guux7CJmqd5DplC"},{"candidatename":"Jim O'Neill","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"James \"Jim\" Roderick O'Neill is the incumbent District Attorney for North Carolina\u2019s 31st Prosecutorial District, a post he has held since 2009 and for which he is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election [3].  The district covers Forsyth County, and his current term is scheduled to end on December\u202f31,\u202f2026 [3].\n\nO'Neill earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University and received a Juris Doctor from New York Law School [3][7].  He began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in Forsyth County before becoming the county\u2019s district attorney, a role he has maintained for more than two decades [3][7].  In addition to his prosecutorial duties, he serves on several community boards, including the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, the board of Exchange/Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN), and the board of Industries for the Blind.  He is also an active lay member of Holy Family Catholic Church and coaches boys\u2019 lacrosse at R.J. Reynolds High School [7][12].\n\nBeyond his work as DA, O'Neill has pursued higher office.  He was a Republican candidate for North Carolina Attorney General in 2016 and again in 2020, and he entered the 2024 race for Lieutenant Governor, advancing to the Republican primary runoff where he was defeated by Hal\u202fWeatherman, receiving 25.7\u202f% of the vote [3][12][10].  His campaigns have emphasized a \u201ctough on crime\u201d stance, leveraging his prosecutorial experience to argue for stronger law\u2011enforcement resources and policies such as expanded school security and opposition to casino expansion [10].\n\nAs district attorney, O'Neill has championed innovative programs aimed at reducing substance\u2011abuse\u2011related offenses.  He launched the DATA (District Attorney\u2019s Treatment Alternatives) pilot in 2018, which directs non\u2011violent drug offenders to treatment rather than incarceration, a model he cites as a cost\u2011effective way to address the opioid crisis [10][12].  He has also advocated for faster processing of sexual\u2011assault kits and for stronger support of ICE immigration enforcement, positioning himself as a defender of victims and public safety [10][12].\n\nO'Neill resides in Winston\u2011Salem with his wife Oona and their three children.  His long tenure, community involvement, and repeated bids for statewide office have made him a recognizable figure in North Carolina politics, and his 2026 re\u2011election campaign will focus on continuing his existing initiatives while highlighting his record of public safety and victim advocacy.\n\n## Sources\n- [3] [Jim O'Neill - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_O'Neill)\n- [7] [Vote Smart | Facts For All](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/167103/james-oneill)\n- [10] [James \"Jim\" Roderick O'Neill | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/james-roderick-o-neill)\n- [11] [Jim O'Neill - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/jim-oneill)\n- [12] [Jim O\u2019Neill looks to win N.C. Attorney General race | The North State Journal](https://nsjonline.com/article/2019/12/jim-oneill-looks-to-win-n-c-attorney-general-race/)","firstname":"James","lastname":"O'Neill","middlename":"Roderick","suffix":null,"token":"08e6785d7943b384"},"token":"afGVDaWfhSFn4qVX"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"district_attorney_general","o.office":"district_attorney","office":"district_attorney","officedescription":"The district attorney general is the elected chief prosecutor for a judicial district \u2014 deciding what cases are charged, presenting cases to the grand jury, and prosecuting criminal matters. It is a leadership role over a public-law office with wide discretion.","officequalities":"- Prosecutorial leadership of a district attorney's office of attorneys, investigators, and victim-services staff.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee criminal law and procedure, constitutional law, and prosecutorial ethics under the Rules of Professional Conduct.\n- Charging-policy judgment that shapes the whole criminal-court docket \u2014 what is presented to the grand jury, diverted, or resolved by plea.\n- Budget and personnel management of a public-law-office operation.\n- Public-facing communication on cases of community concern, in cooperation with police, courts, and victim communities.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"District Attorney","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"District Attorney District 31"}