Wayne Goodwin

Wayne Goodwin
Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party
Assumed office
February 11, 2017
Preceded by Patsy Keever
Insurance Commissioner of North Carolina
In office
January 10, 2009 – January 1, 2017
Governor Bev Perdue
Pat McCrory
Preceded by James E. Long
Succeeded by Mike Causey
Personal details
Born (1967-02-22) February 22, 1967
Hamlet, North Carolina, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Melanie Wade
Education University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA, JD)

George Wayne Goodwin is a North Carolina politician and current chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. He was elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in the 2008 election and re-elected in 2012.[1][2] He was defeated in his bid for a third term in 2016.[3] However, he quickly rebounded and was elected on February 11, 2017 as Chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party on the first ballot with 92% of the vote among four candidates.

Goodwin previously served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's sixty-eighth House district, including constituents in Richmond and Stanly counties. His prior district — the 32nd House district — also included Scotland and Montgomery Counties.

Political career

After serving as President of the Young Democrats of North Carolina, Goodwin served four full terms in the North Carolina state House. Goodwin campaigned as the Democratic nominee for the position of North Carolina Commissioner of Labor in the 2004 election, losing in a close race to incumbent Republican Cherie Berry.

Goodwin served as the Assistant Commissioner of Insurance and Assistant State Fire Marshal for the State of North Carolina from 2005 through 2008. In 2008, Goodwin filed to run for Commissioner of Insurance after the surprise retirement of longtime Commissioner Jim Long.[4] Goodwin defeated David Smith in the Democratic primary 56%–43%[5] and went on to beat Republican John Odom and Libertarian Mark McMains with 51.57% of the vote.[6] Goodwin won re-election in the 2012 general contest by almost four percentage points.

He was a candidate for re-election in 2016.[7] After losing the general election, Goodwin announced that he would run for chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party.[8] With the support of 92% of ballots cast, he was elected to lead the state party on Feb. 11, 2017.[9]

Personal life and non-profit work

Goodwin was a Morehead Scholar and US Senate/William Randolph Hearst Scholar. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Political Science and then went on to graduate from the UNC School of Law. He is married to Melanie Wade Goodwin. They have two children.

Electoral history

North Carolina House of Representatives 32nd District Election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 12,104 100.00
North Carolina House of Representatives 32nd District Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin (inc.) 9,633 100.00
North Carolina House of Representatives 32nd District Election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin (inc.) 13,417 100.00
North Carolina House of Representatives 68th District Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin (inc.) 10,393 55.86
Republican George Crump, III 7,833 42.10
Libertarian David Muse 381 2.05
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cherie Berry (inc.) 1,723,004 52.09
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 1,584,488 47.91
North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Democratic Primary Election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 680,512 56.08
Democratic David Smith 533,027 43.92
North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 2,106,870 51.57
Republican John Odom 1,822,452 44.61
Libertarian Mark McMains 153,517 3.76
Write-ins Write-ins 2,358 0.06
North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin (inc.) 2,226,344 51.86
Republican Mike Causey 2,066,601 48.14

References

  1. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/northcarolinaman20012002nort#page/564/mode/2up
  2. ↑ WRAL: Goodwin wins NC insurance commissioner race
  3. ↑ New York Times
  4. ↑ [ Long not running for re-election | newsobserver.com projects]
  5. ↑ "NC Primary Election Results 2008". NC State Board of Elections. Missing or empty |url= (help); |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. ↑ "NC General Election Results 2008". NC State Board of Elections. Missing or empty |url= (help); |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  7. ↑ http://yourdailyjournal.com/news/local-news-5/17071/goodwin-seeks-third-term-as-n-c-insurance-commissioner
  8. ↑ WRAL.com: NC Democrats again seeking new party leader
  9. ↑ WRAL: NC Democratic Party elects Wayne Goodwin as chair
Political offices
Preceded by
James E. Long		 Insurance Commissioner of North Carolina
2009–2017		 Succeeded by
Mike Causey
Party political offices
Preceded by
Patsy Keever		 Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party
2017–present		 Incumbent
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