Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

• Native of Silk Hope in Chatham County.
• Graduate of Silk Hope High School, UNC Chapel Hill, and UNC Law School.
• Legislator, lawyer, and beef cattle farmer. Former assistant district attorney in Orange and Chatham Counties.
• Married to Betsy Hackney for 31 years.
• Two adult sons, Dan and Will.
• Democrat.
• The leading voice in Raleigh for new ethics laws, rules and enforcement, and civility in government debate.
• Speaker of the House since 2007.
• The most effective House member. Rated #1 (out of 120) by his peers.

Strong Leadership for tough times.

Under the leadership of Joe Hackney, state legislators balanced the budget during the worst financial crisis in generations, making the largest cuts in North Carolina history, while still spending wisely to protect public schools and save teacher jobs.

Joe Hackney is working hard to get North Carolinians back to work. Joe has protected farmers and growers, small businesses, and hospital and healthcare workers. He has promoted new industrial development and green business initiatives.

Joe Hackney is fighting to protect North Carolina's small businesses and agriculture. Joe has supported farmland preservation efforts and our farmers markets. He played a vital role in creating a new Agrarian Growth Zone for business development in Siler City, and fought for job initiatives by the NC Rural Center, investment in the new arts economy, and small business tax credits.

Joe Hackney will preserve our public schools, community colleges, and universities. As a graduate of Silk Hope High School and UNC, Joe understands the value of quality public education in creating jobs. As a legislator, he has backed a bold new cancer research center at UNC, innovative new worker training programs at our community colleges, the Chatham Youth Development Center, and started a new dropout prevention program that is producing results -- keeping more of our kids in school.