Kinston native bows in bid for state office

RALEIGH -- Jack Sawyer had known for a long time that he wanted to be involved with politics. He just didn't know exactly where that involvement would take him.

Tuesday night, Sawyer watched as his chances at becoming North Carolina's secretary of state slip away, but the campaign gave the Kinston native an opportunity to reflect on his career and the path that led him into the realm of state politics.

His campaign pitted him against Democratic incumbent Elaine Marshall. Facing a 13-point deficit in the polls, Sawyer, a Republican living now in Graham, conceded the race late Tuesday evening.

"I congratulate Secretary Marshall," Sawyer said by phone Tuesday. "She won the race fair and square. She is a very accomplished politician in North Carolina. I respect her for that. I know she's going to do all she can do the next four years to serve the people of North Carolina."

Sawyer grew up within the city limits of Kinston, spending his early years in his house on Johnson St. His mother, the late Jimi McDaniel Sawyer, was a Kinston native and former Miss Kinston who taught in town for more than 20 years. His father, the late Pat Sawyer, was a sales representative for Proctor & Gamble. And his grandmother, Elizabeth Stevens, still lives in Kinston.

He was in town for a candidates' forum at the Chamber of Commerce in September, and he takes every chance he gets to go by his old house or drive by Fairfield Park, where he played basketball, baseball and football as a youth.

With such strong connections to eastern North Carolina, Sawyer said he still feels a strong tie to Kinston.

"I think Kinston is in some ways a typical eastern North Carolina community that has been in need of economic growth," Sawyer said, adding that he wasn't convinced the results from the election would bring any economic change to Kinston.

"Really, it's hard for me to say how the outcome of this election will impact Kinston economically," he said.

Sawyer, a real estate lawyer who owns a practice in Alamance County, said he challenged Marshall for the secretary of state job for a number of reasons.

"I'm an attorney by trade as well as a licensed real estate broker and small business owner," he said. "The responsibility of the secretary of state is a good fit for someone of my professional background."

Sawyer said his campaign focused on what he called "significant episodes of mismanagement," and he called for more frequent fiscal audits and greater transparency in state government during campaign stops across the state.

While Sawyer said he won't rule out a future in politics, he said too much can happen in four years to predict whether he'll make another run at secretary of state or another state office in the future.

Regardless of where he's going, he knows where it all started. Sawyer earned his law degree from Regent University in Virginia Beach after earning his undergraduate degree from UNC. It was while he was at UNC that Sawyer had the opportunity to work with the late Jesse Helms, the oft-polarizing figure who represented North Carolina for many years as a U.S. senator.

"It was a unique opportunity to spend part of my summer in his Washington, D.C. office," Sawyer said. "Even though he was a U.S. senator, he represented North Carolina. He did everything he could to help his constituents."

Sawyer said there was no question his work with Sen. Helms played a pivotal role in his desire to get into politics.

"He was very instrumental in showing me that public service can be an honorable thing," said Sawyer.

For all the experiences he's had, Sawyer said he's also looking forward to settling back into his normal routine with wife Nicole and three children, ages 8 1/2, 6 1/2 and 3.

"We're all very happy the campaign is over," he said. "I've been telling my friends and family, win or lose, I've been looking forward to Nov. 5 to get back to normal. It was enjoyable traveling the state, meeting wonderful people. I don't regret at all the opportunity I had to be the Republican nominee for secretary of state this year."

Sawyer, a 1990 graduate of Kinston High, said his travels will bring him back to Kinston for a visit sometime before Christmas.

"I'm a life-long resident of North Carolina," he said. "Kinston has a special place in my heart. It's my hometown. It was a good place for me to grow up."