Buck Newton

In response to the state's law on LGBT issues Newton, at a conservative rally supporting the North Carolina's House Bill 2 (a.k.a. "HB2"), said “Go home, tell your friends and family who had to work today what this is all about and how hard we must fight to keep our state straight.” In a later interview, Newton said his remarks at the rally were intended to mean “keep men out of the ladies’ room.” Newton has also said that "folks that wave the rainbow flags” need to get used to “the way things have always been in this state.”

In 2016 Newton was the Republican nominee for North Carolina Attorney General losing to Democrat Josh Stein by 25,000 votes, a 0.5% margin.

Newton ran for the state office of attorney general in 2016 as the official Republican Party nominee. But that November, he lost to Josh Stein, the Democratic nominee. As a consequence, Newton has retired from active state politics.

Newton is also a graduate of the Campbell University School of Law. He has practiced law for 16 years at his firm, Newton and Lee, in Wilson, and became a state legislator in 2010.

From 2007 to 2011, Newton served as the chairman for the Wilson County Republican Party before taking office in the state capital in early 2011, replacing State Senator Albin B. Swindell.

Eldon Sharpe "Buck" Newton III (born July 5, 1968) was a Republican state senator in the North Carolina General Assembly (the state's legislature) representing N.C. District 11 (Wilson and Nash counties). Newton won his seat in the 2010 election by defeating the Democratic incumbent, Albin B. Swindell.