News

Newman announces candidacy for second term

By Lightning Reports, Published: February 6, 2018

District Attorney Greg Newman announced that he will seek re-election for a second term this year. 

He will file the necessary paperwork with the NC State Board of Elections when the filing period opens next week on Feb. 12.  He currently serves as the chief criminal prosecutor for Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties.  A native of Henderson County, Newman was appointed by N.C.  Governor Pat McCrory in 2013 to succeed Jeff Hunt, who became a Superior Court Judge.  Mr. Newman was then elected in 2014 to a full term as District Attorney.

The DA graduated with a degree in Political Science from UNC Asheville and then graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law in Dayton, Ohio.  He began his legal career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Ashland, Ohio and then worked with the District Attorney General’s Office in the Second Judicial District of Tennessee.  Upon his return home to North Carolina in 2000, he worked in the law office of Ron Blanchard and handled a variety of civil and criminal cases in both state and federal courts. 

In addition to his law practice, Newman was elected  Mayor of Hendersonville in 2005 and served a full 4 year term that ended in 2009.  He was a candidate for Congress in the 2010 Republican primary and finished third in a  field of 7 candidates.  He has been active with the Republican Party since 1984.

The District Attorney and his wife of 33 years, Kim, have 3 children.  His two adult children are graduates of Clemson University and his youngest son is a junior at Hendersonville High School.  Newman is an active member at First Baptist Church where he serves as a teacher, usher, deacon and trustee.

“I have a great staff and a talented team of lawyers.  I am very pleased with the performance and production of our office and I hope the voters in all 3 counties feel the same way,” said the DA.  “ We have strong support among all of our police and sheriff’s departments, our emergency responders, the business community,  our local pastors and many others.  The results in all our courts have been very gratifying, to say the least.  Some of our cases have received national attention.  We are experiencing the most productive period in our local court system in terms of cases resolved with strong jury verdicts, guilty pleas, and substantial sentences.  I credit my staff and lawyers for these results, as well as all the people in our community serving on these juries for supporting what we do.  It is indeed gratifying to live in an area where the rule of law is still respected,” added Mr. Newman.

Mr. Newman then stated,  “I am told that I will have opposition in the Republican primary this year, so in addition to my regular duties, I will be spending time raising funds and campaigning for office.  I believe most people are aware of the serious cases awaiting prosecution in the district.  We have at least one death penalty trial and will likely have a second one in Polk County.   So I naturally take the position that now is not the time to change leadership and direction of the DA’s office.  Things are going well in our office and I would like to continue in my current position.  It is an honor to serve the people in the community that has meant so much to me personally.”

Registration to vote in this year’s Republican primary election will end April 13, 2018.  Early, one-stop, voting begins on April 26 and runs through May 5^th.  The primary is Tuesday, May 8, 2018.

Mr. Newman can be contacted at P. O. Box 22, Hendersonville, NC 28793.