# Joe John

Joseph Robert John Sr. (October 13, 1939 – January 22, 2025) was an American politician who was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, having served from 2017 to 2025. He had formerly been judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He served on that court from 1992 until 2000. Previously, he had been a state superior court and state district court judge, based in Greensboro. He had also been a prosecutor and practiced at the firm of Pell, Pell, Weston & John.

## Life and career

In 2010, John was named interim director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation crime lab by N.C. Attorney General Roy A. Cooper. He was named to the post on a permanent basis in 2011. John retired in 2014.
John was elected as a Democrat to the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 40, in 2016, defeating incumbent Rep. Marilyn Avila. In 2018, John was re-elected to a second term after defeating Avila in a rematch. John won a third term in 2020, defeating Republican challenger Gerald Falzon.
During his time in office, John had focused on fully funding North Carolina schools, eliminating partisan gerrymandering, and fighting against what he called the "War on an Independent Judiciary".
John announced his resignation from the legislature on January 19, 2025, effective January 21st, after his cancer diagnosis was deemed terminal. He died the next day, on January 22, at the age of 85.

## Electoral history
### 2022

North Carolina House of Representatives 40th district Democratic primary election, 2022 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joe John (incumbent) | 5,520 | 74.10% |
| | Democratic | Marguerite Creel | 1,929 | 25.90% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 7,449 | 100% |

### 2020

North Carolina House of Representatives 40th district general election, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joe John (incumbent) | 31,837 | 56.47% |
| | Republican | Gerald Falzon | 24,545 | 43.53% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 56,382 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2018

North Carolina House of Representatives 40th district general election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joe John (incumbent) | 24,193 | 51.24% |
| | Republican | Marilyn Avila | 21,256 | 45.02% |
| | Libertarian | David Ulmer | 1,767 | 3.74% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 47,216 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2016

North Carolina House of Representatives 40th district general election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joe John | 23,786 | 50.41% |
| | Republican | Marilyn Avila (incumbent) | 23,402 | 49.59% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 47,188 | 100% |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

## Committee assignments
### 2021–2022 session

* Appropriations
* Appropriations – Justice and Public Safety
* Judiciary II
* Families, Children, and Aging Policy
* Transportation

### 2019–2020 session

* Appropriations
* Appropriations – Justice and Public Safety
* Judiciary
* Families, Children, and Aging Policy
* Transportation

### 2017–2018 session

* Appropriations
* Appropriations – Justice and Public Safety
* Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs
* Insurance
* Judiciary II
* State and Local Government II