Jim Hunt, North Carolina’s four-term governor, is being remembered as a force behind education reform by those who were influenced by him. 

The Associated Press reported that Hunt, 88, died Thursday at his Wilson County home.

“I can think of no one who shaped North Carolina’s recent successes as much as Governor Jim Hunt,” Governor Josh Stein said. “Governor for 16 years, he was a visionary who founded Smart Start, raised teacher pay, protected air quality, and created the NC Biotech Center.” Stein described Hunt as a mentor and dear friend. “Anna and I are keeping Carolyn, Rachel, and the entire Hunt family in our thoughts and prayers. May Governor Hunt’s memory be a blessing. He certainly was for North Carolina.”

United States Senator Thom Tillis said he and his wife, Susan, are deeply saddened by Hunt’s death. 

He described Hunt as one of the most consequential public servants in North Carolina's history. “His commitment to public education and economic development made a profound impact on our state that continues to this day. We send our deepest condolences to his loving family.”

State Representative Rodney Pierce said, “I’m saddened to hear the news about Governor Jim Hunt’s passing. He shaped North Carolina in unimaginable ways and was the epitome of what it means to support public education. My thoughts and prayers are with the Hunt family during this time.“

Former state Representative Michael Wray, who is running to retake his seat, described Hunt as the greatest governor in the history of the state. “Jim Hunt truly shaped North Carolina into what it is today. His vision, his energy, his work ethic, and his political intuition have never been matched.” 

Wray said Hunt brought together the business community with education institutions and a broad-based political network that set a vision for the state's future. “His accomplishments are many, but his commitment to build a strong industrial base in every sector of the state and his leadership on education will impact generations of North Carolinians to come.”

Wray said he is proud to call himself a Jim Hunt Democrat who has “modeled my public service around his values of strong schools, good jobs, and the highest quality of life for our residents. I, like thousands who worked with Governor Hunt, am saddened today because we have lost a giant. Kay and I extend our condolences to Mrs. Hunt, Lt. Governor Hunt, and the entire Hunt family.”

The AP described Hunt as a towering figure in North Carolina politics in the late 20th century whose career provided a prototype for the modern education governor. 

He was first elected governor in 1976 and, after a constitutional change, became the first North Carolina governor elected to successive four-year terms.