Jim Harrell, Jr.

James Andrew (Jim) Harrell, Jr. was the Democratic nominee for U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 5th congressional district in 2004. He won 41 percent of the vote to Virginia Foxx's 59 percent. The seat had been open after the retirement of Richard Burr, who left to run a successful campaign against Erskine Bowles to represent North Carolina in the Senate.

Dr. Jim Harrell is a dentist and public servant in Elkin, North Carolina. He was elected as a Surry County Commissioner in 1990 and re-elected for a total of four terms, the current one due to expire in 2006. His father, grandfather, and brother are or were also dentists. His father, Jim Harrell, Sr., still practices and was once mayor of Elkin.

He is also a past president of the North Carolina Dental Society and past chairman of the American Dental Association Council on Governmental Affairs.

He is the father of three sons, the oldest of which, Jim Harrell III, is a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives.