Biography
Joe Hackney was elected House Minority Leader in January 2011. He served as Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2007-2010. Prior to his election as Speaker, Hackney was House Democratic Leader for one term, House Majority Leader for one term and Speaker Pro Tempore for two terms. During his tenure, Representative Hackney has been one of the General Assembly’s leading advocates for openness in government and ethics and lobbying reform.
Hackney began his legal career as a clerk for North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Frank Huskins. He worked as an assistant district attorney in Orange and Chatham counties from 1971-74 before entering politics as the campaign manager for North Carolina Congressman Ike Andrews.
Since 1974, Hackney has been a partner in the Epting & Hackney law firm in Chapel Hill, N.C. In addition, he and his brother continue to operate the family cattle farm in Chatham County where they grew up.
Hackney received a bachelor’s degree in political science and a juris doctorate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his wife, Betsy, have two adult sons, Dan and Will.
Hackney is the past president of the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 2007, he received the group’s Excellence in State Legislative Leadership Award, the nation’s top honor for state legislators.
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Rep. Hackney introdues Bill Gates at the National Conference of State Legislatures legislative summit on education.
Click here to read the Special Report “Reformer in Power” from the January 2009 edition of Governing Magazine.
