Jeff Jackson wins Democratic nomination for state Attorney General

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- An office often seen as a stepping stone to the Governor's Mansion in North Carolina is one of the Super Tuesday races up for grabs.

Current Attorney General Josh Stein is leaving the office to make a run for governor himself.

Three Democrats stepped up with hopes to fill the vacancy: U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson, Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry and attorney Tim Dunn

The Associated Press called the race for Jackson at around 10:30 p.m.

"The job of Attorney General is to stand between the people of the state and those that mean them harm. It's not about culture wars - it's just about doing what's right," Jackson said in a statement. "We need an Attorney General that will defend our kids from fentanyl and keep them safe online, go after scammers who target our bank accounts, and corporations who break the rules and pollute our water. I want to express my appreciation to DA Deberry and Mr. Dunn. They've been strong candidates and have dedicated their lives to serving the people of North Carolina. I'm so grateful for the support we've seen tonight across the state and I look forward to earning your vote every day between now and November."

Deberry told ABC11 that she accepted defeat in the race and wished Jackson well in the general election.

"I feel fine. We talked about the things we wanted to talk about. Obviously we didn't win. I feel like we didn't have enough time on the ground. But what I do know is that when people heard from me, they liked what they heard. So I wish the Congressman luck in November," she said. "We will see what my future holds. I still have a job as the District Attorney of Durham County. I'm grateful to the people of Durham County that I still that job. There's still much work to be done here. And we're just going to keep doing it together; which is what we've always done."

As for the Republicans, U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop is running unopposed. Bishop is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and garnered national attention back in 2015 when he was a co-sponsor of H.B. 2, more commonly known as North Carolina's Bathroom Bill

Political experts said they expect this race in November to be one of the more expensive general election races in the state.