Assistant District Attorney Jason Smith announces candidacy for New Hanover, Pender DA

WILMINGTON (WWAY) — Assistant District Attorney Jason Smith has announced his intention to run for district attorney of New Hanover and Pender Counties.

The news comes after current DA Benjamin David announced that he would step down in September after serving in the role for 20 years.

Smith has been assistant DA since 2010, after practicing law in the private sector since 2001.

Smith graduated from Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in Business/Economics. He attended Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama where he obtained a Juris Doctor in 1999. Smith then moved to Wilmington where he lives with his wife and four children. He also served in the Army from 2003 to 2005 and was deployed to Iraq during that time.

In a press release, Smith said he plans to hold a press conference in January to share more about his goals for the DA’s office.