Durham DA Satana Deberry joins the Democratic primary for NC attorney general

Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry is entering the Democratic primary for North Carolina attorney general.

Joy Cook, a spokesperson for Deberry’s campaign, confirmed to The News & Observer on Friday that Deberry plans to run in the Democratic primary for attorney general, the state’s top law enforcement officer.

“The people of North Carolina deserve an Attorney General who is fair, firm, and consistent. An Attorney General who will go to work for them every day no matter where they come from or who they are. My life’s work has been dedicated to putting the people above politics and the people’s business first, as Attorney General of this state, that’s exactly what I will do,” Deberry said in a statement Friday afternoon.

Deberry was first elected as Durham DA in 2018 and was reelected last year. While running for a second term last year, Deberry told The N&O she wanted to coordinate better with law enforcement on violent and serious cases, expand mental health treatment for people coming into contact with the criminal justice system, and expand victim and community services.

She will take on U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson, who announced his campaign last month, and is considered the likely frontrunner, and Tim Dunn, a Marine Corps veteran and lawyer from Fayetteville. News of Deberry’s run was first reported on Friday by WFAE.

The open race for attorney general is expected to be one of the most hotly contested, and expensive, on the ballot next year.

Jackson, a former state senator and Gaston County prosecutor who served in the Army and continues to serve in the Army National Guard, has received national attention in his short tenure as a congressman, particularly for his outreach to constituents on TikTok and other social media.

On the Republican side, the likely frontrunner is U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, another prominent member of North Carolina’s congressional delegation, who has served in Congress since 2019. He announced his campaign in August.

The day before Jackson announced his run, the Democratic Attorneys General Association said it had reserved $4 million in television advertising, and said it was committed to keeping the seat in Democratic control. North Carolina hasn’t elected a Republican as attorney general since the late 1800s. But the most recent race in 2020, between Democrat Josh Stein and Republican Jim O’Neill, was only won by Stein with 50.1% of the vote.

Stein is running for governor, as did his predecessor as attorney general, current Gov. Roy Cooper.

In a statement on Deberry joining the race, Jackson’s campaign said, “We’re glad to welcome anyone to the race and hope that any primary can be positive and thoughtful.”