Abraham Penn Jones

Abraham Penn "Abe" Jones is the incumbent Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 38, a seat he has held since the start of the 2021 legislative term and for which he is seeking re‑election in the November 3, 2026 general election ³¹³. The North Carolina House is the lower chamber of the state General Assembly, with members serving two‑year terms and representing roughly equal geographic districts.

Jones was born on March 7, 1952, in Wilson, North Carolina. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 1974 and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1977, credentials that have underpinned his long career in law and public service ³¹³.

After law school, Jones clerked for the United States District Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, then served as an assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. He later worked as an attorney in private practice, an assistant attorney general with the North Carolina Department of Justice, and an administrative law judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings. He also owned a law firm before entering elected office ³¹³.

In August 1995, Governor Jim Hunt appointed Jones to the North Carolina Superior Court, District 10, where he served as a judge for the 10th Judicial District of the Third Division, covering Wake County. He won election to a full term in 1996, was re‑elected in 2004, and served until his defeat in the 2012 judicial election, stepping down at the end of that year ³¹³.

Jones returned to elected politics in 2020, winning a seat in the state House representing parts of Wake County. During the 2021‑2022 and 2023‑2024 sessions he served on several key committees, including Appropriations, Appropriations – Justice and Public Safety, Judiciary I, Regulatory Reform, UNC Board of Governors Nominations, Wildlife Resources, and the House Redistricting Committee. He has sponsored legislation on a range of issues, though specific bills are listed on legislative tracking sites rather than in the provided sources ³¹³.

In the 2026 Democratic primary for District 38, Jones defeated challenger Collin Fearns, receiving 7,391 votes (69.7 %) to Fearns’ 3,220 (30.3 %) ³. He is listed on the ballot for the November 3, 2026 general election as the Democratic incumbent, with the outcome pending ³¹³.

Jones is active in his community as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the Martin Street Baptist Church. He has also taught courses at the University of North Carolina School of Law, reflecting his ongoing engagement with legal education ³¹³.

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