John J. Snow Jr.
American politician (1945–2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Joyner Snow Jr. (October 24, 1945 – June 16, 2026) was an American politician, attorney and football player who served as a member of the North Carolina Senate, for the 50th district from 2005 to 2011.[1] His district included Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania counties. Snow was the co-chair of the Subcommittee on Justice and Public Safety.
John J. Snow Jr. | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 50th district | |
| In office January 1, 2005 – January 1, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Carpenter |
| Succeeded by | Jim Davis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 24, 1945 |
| Died | June 16, 2026 (aged 80) Murphy, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Wake Forest University (BA, JD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
Early life and education
Snow was born in Asheville, North Carolina on October 24, 1945.[1] He grew up in Murphy, North Carolina, and graduated from Murphy High School in 1963.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest University and Juris Doctor from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 1970. Snow was a defensive tackle for Wake Forest University, and was drafted 368th overall in the 15th round of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.[3]
Career
In 1967, Snow served in the United States Army. After law school Snow worked as an Assistant District Attorney. He later served as a District Court Judge from 1976 to 1986 and Chief District Court Judge from 1996 to 2004. He took office as a member of the North Carolina Senate in 2005.[4][5]
Franklin orthodontist Jim Davis defeated Snow in 2010 by a margin of less than 200 votes after Snow was subjected to two dozen mass-mailed negative ads during the election.[6] After the election, it was revealed that many of the mail-outs were funded by groups founded by businessman Art Pope, including Civitas Action and Real Jobs NC.[6] In 2012, Snow ran in a re-match with Davis to return to his former seat in the Senate.[7] He was defeated by a substantial margin of 12,548 votes.[8] A bridge on US 64 East in Murphy was named in Snow's honor.[9]
