Last Wednesday, former Governor Jim Hunt was on the floor of the state Senate, holding the Bible for the swearing-in of his daughter, Senator Rachel Hunt.

Almost exactly 50 years before – on Wednesday January 10, 1973 – newly elected Lieutenant Governor Jim Hunt presided over the swearing-in of the Senate.

Things were different then.

North Carolina had just elected its first Republican governor in the 20^th Century, Jim Holshouser, and its first Republican Senator, Jesse Helms.

Hunt was the state’s top-ranking Democrat. Everybody expected him to run for governor in 1976. He did, and he won.

Nobody expected him to end up running – and winning – three more times, in 1980, 1992 and 1996.

In 1973, governors were limited to one term. Hunt persuaded the General Assembly and the voters to change that in 1977, over the opposition of Republicans and Democratic Lt. Governor Jimmy Green.

Also in 1973, governors didn’t have veto power. Hunt got that changed in 1996, with the support of some Republicans and over the opposition of some House Democrats.

Also different: In 1973, Democrats controlled both the House and Senate. They ran roughshod over Governor Holshouser and the Republicans.

But Hunt and Holshouser worked together for some big things, like statewide kindergartens and teacher pay raises.

Some Republicans, you see, were different back then.

Hunt had his own problems with Democrats. He was just 35, and this was his first political office. The lieutenant governor was powerful then; he appointed committees, referred bills and ran the Senate.

Some of the Senate’s old bulls weren’t too enthralled with this young whippersnapper. They tried to strip his powers.

But Hunt beat them in a caucus vote. He always knew how to count votes.

He would run the Senate with a firm gavel for four years.

It wasn’t his first podium. He had learned parliamentary procedure as a teenager in FFA. He had presided over meetings as student body president at N.C. State (two terms, of course), state Young Democrats president and chair of a state party reform commission that opened up top offices to Black Democrats, young people and women.

In 1973, the Senate was nearly all-White and all-male, pretty much like the Senate Republican caucus today.

Many of the Democrats were conservatives from small towns and rural areas, pretty much like the Senate Republican caucus today.

Today’s Democratic caucus is decidedly different and diverse. Most of them are women.

There was another difference. The front-page forecast on the next day’s N&O read, “More Snow.”

That was before climate change robbed Raleigh of snow.

Back then, I was a rookie reporter and copy editor at the N&O. A couple of years later, I got promoted to third-string reporter on the state politics-government beat.

That’s when I got to know Lieutenant Governor Hunt. In 1976, he offered me a job as his campaign press secretary.

I took the job. It turned out well.   

For years now, I’ve watched Senator Rachel Hunt and new generations of Democrats move up in politics.

The challenges they face are even tougher than those of 50 years ago.

They are up to the task. I believe it will turn out well.