Jim Davis

Who is Jim Davis?

James Wayland "Jim" Davis is a Republican Party member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the Senate's fiftieth district, which includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Transylvania counties.

Davis earned his bachelor's degree from Southern Missionary College, now Southern Adventist University in 1969, and earned his DDS degree from Loma Linda University's School of Dentistry in 1974. In 1989, he graduated from Loma Linda with his MS in orthodontics.

Davis defeated three term incumbent John J. Snow, Jr. in the 2010 election by 199 votes. For an account of this campaign see the Oct.10, 2011 New Yorker article "State for Sale" by Jane Mayer. Art Pope's substantial influence is widely credited for the Davis win in 2010.

Davis currently serves as the Co-chair of the Committee on Appropriations on General Government and Information Technology, and as Co-chair of the State and Local Government committee. In 2013 Davis was the primary sponsor of a bill which would require welfare recipients to undergo drug tests in order to receive benefits. Davis has said that he would be willing to submit to drug testing, provided that he did not have to pay the costs.