Jim Snyder, Longtime Lexington Attorney And Politician, Dies At 76

Jim Snyder, a leading conservative voice in Davidson County for decades, has died.

Lean and lanky, standing at about six-and-a-half feet tall, attorney Jim Snyder projected an almost Lincolnesque presence when he walked the streets of uptown Lexington near the county courthouse.

He played basketball at Wake Forest University in the mid-1960s. Law school at his alma mater followed.

He was thrust into politics early when his father died unexpectedly, and Snyder completed the remainder of his term in the legislature. He decided against running for the seat in 1972 to focus on raising his children.

But he would remain a staunch ally of conservative Davidson politics for many years after. He made two runs for the U.S. Senate, finishing second but far behind Elizabeth Dole in the 2002 GOP primary, and coming in fifth in the Republican primary in 2014.

He made it to the general election as a lieutenant governor candidate in 2004 but lost to future Gov. Bev Perdue. 

Snyder died at his home Sunday. He was 76.