Ex-governor still a force

There are few offices in Raleigh higher than Jim Hunt's -- a perch on the 21st floor of the Wachovia Building that offers him a bird's-eye view of the capital city he has dominated for a generation.

From his office, lined with photographs of the powerful and editorial cartoons lampooning his 16 years as governor, Hunt works his network like a concert pianist plays a keyboard.

It is a network that -- combined with his relentless energy and a lifetime in politics -- makes him still a major player in public policy nearly five years after leaving office.

There are notes to fire off to his successor, Gov. Mike Easley. There are his think tanks to direct -- one to tutor the nation's governors on education and another that is about to begin a five-year effort to reform North Carolina's antiquated tax structure.

There are corporate clients to woo for Womble Carlyle, the law firm where he works. There are corporate board meetings to attend, education conferences to participate in and an endless round of speeches. Bill Clinton has him on his School of Public Service board. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has him on an advisory panel, and he has helped Virginia Gov. Mark Warner think through education problems there.

Every weekday morning, after putting out hay for the calves on his 300-acre Wilson County cattle farm, Hunt dons a power suit and climbs into his 2001 Lincoln Town car and heads west on U.S 264 for an hourlong commute. Frequently, the trip doesn't end here. In recent weeks, Hunt has been in Washington (six times), New York (twice), West Virginia, Indiana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Chicago and Toronto.

"I sometimes tell people that I am busier than when I was governor -- but without the security, the state helicopter and the state airplanes," Hunt said.

Many 68-year-olds would be looking to slow down. But Hunt's frenetic, post-gubernatorial career, with a particular focus on education, surprises few of his friends.

"I've known him so long I can't picture him any other way," said former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Phil Carlton of Pinetops, a Hunt friend since high school. "He was driven [in college]. He has never really let up. He has changed less than any man I've known, from adolescence to granddaddy."

It is a drive that took Hunt to the top of state politics -- first to lieutenant governor at age 35 (in 1972), then to four terms as governor (1976, 1980, 1992 and 1996.) No North Carolina governor matches that record. Hunt's only defeat was the 1984 U.S. Senate race to Republican Jesse Helms.

Hunt says he does not miss being governor. He says he accomplished most of what he wanted.

He also says he's a lot healthier. Hunt says he had frequent respiratory ailments while he was living in the Executive Mansion, ailments that cleared up as soon as he left office. Hunt says he is certain it was caused by mold, which is now being removed from the mansion.

No grand vision

Hunt said he didn't have any grand vision for his post-gubernatorial career when he and his wife, Carolyn, walked away from the inaugural ceremonies in January 2001 that turned the office over to Easley, a fellow Democrat.

But Hunt wanted to both do well and do good -- to earn a good living and to pursue his interest in education. Womble Carlyle, North Carolina's largest law firm with more than 500 lawyers, provided him with the opportunity for both.

Hunt is the sort of high-profile lawyer more commonly found in Washington. He doesn't appear in court, write legal briefs or lobby. Hunt is what is known as a rainmaker, using his broad connections to help bring corporate clients such as Dell, the computer giant, to the firm.