Hugh B. Webster (August 6, 1943 – March 4, 2022) was an accountant, farmer,register of deeds, and North Carolina state senator fromCaswell County, North Carolina.[1][2] As a state senator, he representedNorth Carolina's 24th Senate district from 1995 to 2006, which included constituents inAlamance, Caswell, and parts ofPerson counties.[3]
Hugh Webster graduated fromBartlett Yancey High School inYanceyville, North Carolina in 1961. He joined the US Army, serving two years. Webster attended theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1968 and a Specialty in Accountinggraduate certificate in 1969.[4]
After passing theCPA exam in 1969, Webster was an auditor and tax specialist for major accounting firms in the U.S.,Latin America, andSouth Africa. He also did contract audit work for the U.S. Departments ofDefense andLabor in the U.S. and inGermany.[1]
Webster worked for 30 years as a self-employed accountant in Yanceyville, offering tax preparation and small business services. In addition, he was a farmer who raised tobacco, grain, and cattle.
In 1995, Webster became a North Carolina state senator after defeating George Daniel, an eight-year incumbentDemocrat. He was the firstRepublican from Caswell County elected to the state senate sinceJohn W. Stephens in 1868. (Stephens' assassination in 1870, a pivotal event, led to theKirk–Holden War).
Webster served six terms as a state senator until narrowly losing his re-election bid by 460 votes to DemocratTony Foriest on November 7, 2006.[5][6]
During his 12 years in theNorth Carolina General Assembly, Webster served on various committees, including finance and appropriations, environment and natural resources, and agriculture. He worked on several bills affecting state taxes.
Webster notably sponsored a bill called "The Baby Greer Act," which would have allowed prosecutors to charge those accused of murdering pregnant women with double homicide.[7] A similar bill called the Unborn Victims of Violence Act or Ethen's Law was later passed by the state legislature in 2011.[8]
In 2008, Webster challenged U.S. Rep.Brad Miller to representNorth Carolina's 13th congressional district. His campaign issues included immigration, reducing federal spending, and protecting constitutional rights such as free speech and gun ownership.[6] He was defeated by Miller, with the incumbent receiving nearly 66 percent of the district vote.[9][10]
In November 2008, Webster was indicted on a felonyembezzlement charge.[11] He was acquitted by a jury in 2009.[12]
In 2011, Webster was appointedregister of deeds for Alamance County, North Carolina and was re-elected twice until stepping down in 2021.[13]
Webster and his wife Patricia had two children, LeGrand and Noel. In 2021, he and his wifeseparated.[14] Webster was a resident ofBurlington, North Carolina.
| North Carolina Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by George Berkley Daniel | Member of theNorth Carolina Senate from the21st district 1995–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theNorth Carolina Senate from the24th district 2003–2007 | Succeeded by |