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Beverly Eaves Perdue[2] (born 14 January 1947[3]) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party currently serving as governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina. She is the first female governor of North Carolina.
Contents |
Personal life
Beverly Marlene Moore[4] was born in Grundy, Virginia to Alfred P. and Irene Morefield Moore.[4] Her father was a coal miner who became a utility CEO.[5] She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky, as well as a master's degree in education and a doctoral degree in education administration from the University of Florida. She worked as a hospital administrator and consultant before entering politics.[6]
Perdue lives in Chapel Hill and formerly lived in New Bern. She has been married to Bob Eaves since 1997 and has two grown sons, Garrett and Emmett (b. 1976, 1979), from her previous marriage to Gary Perdue, which lasted from 1970 to 1994.[4] She still keeps her last name as "Perdue," using her new married name as her middle name.[4] She is not related to Governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia.
Political career
Perdue, a Democrat, served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1987 to 1991, and in the North Carolina Senate from 1991 to 2001. During her last three terms in the Senate, she served as one of the state's chief budget writers and was the first woman to hold this position. While she was in office, the General Assembly increased teacher pay and passed Governor Hunt's Excellent Schools Act and Smart Start. Additionally, she led the debate that created North Carolina's Clean Water Management Trust Fund.[5]
In 2000, she defeated Republican Betsy Cochrane for the lieutenant governor's seat, becoming North Carolina's first female lieutenant governor; she was re-elected to a second term in 2004.[5] As lieutenant governor, Perdue's most significant act was casting the tie-breaking vote that established the North Carolina Education Lottery.[5]
2008 gubernatorial election
Perdue announced her 2008 candidacy for governor on October 1, 2007 at her hometown, New Bern, North Carolina. On October 22, 2007, pro-choice Emily's List endorsed her campaign.[7][8] On May 6, 2008, Perdue won the Democratic nomination for Governor, defeating State Treasurer Richard H. Moore and Dennis Nielsen.[9]
Perdue raised $15 million for the general election and ran attack ads against her Republican opponent, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, criticizing him for not being tough enough on illegal immigration.[6] Despite a "national Democratic tide" and Perdue's fundraising edge,[10] in the general election McCrory led Perdue at first; Perdue slowly gained with help from Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential candidate.[11] Perdue and McCrory remained close, with the two often polling in a statistical tie[10] in what was the closest race for governor in the nation.[6] Perdue ran slightly behind her opponent in polls released the week before the election.[10] Pundits speculated that Perdue was hurt by current Democratic Governor Mike Easley's decreasing popularity and McCrory's efforts to tag her as part of corruption in Raleigh: consultants mentioned Perdue's "difficulty of being the candidate of continuity in a change election."[11]
While McCrory received the endorsement of most major newspapers in the state (which typically endorse Democrats),[12][13][14][15][16][17] Perdue received the endorsement of actor and director Andy Griffith, who filmed a campaign ad on her behalf.[18]
Perdue defeated McCrory on November 4, 2008, 50.3 % to 46.9 %.[19]
When Hillary Clinton dropped out of the 2008 presidential race the The New York Times mentioned Perdue as a potential future presidential candidate.[20]
Political positions
Perdue's Senate record followed the lines of the Democratic caucus.[5] As a member of the Board of Community Colleges, she voted against allowing illegal immigrants to attend the schools even if they graduated from a North Carolina high school.[5] She had previously said she would admit every high school graduate to community college tuition-free.[5] In late February and early March 2009, she announced that $87 million from the educational lottery would be used to ensure there is money available for the state's day-to-day operations.[21]
In her first use of the veto power, Gov. Perdue vetoed a bill that would have made various documents that lawmakers use in drafting legislation confidential.[22]
Electoral history
| North Carolina gubernatorial election, 2008 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Beverly Perdue | 2,146,083 | 50.27% | ||
| Republican | Pat McCrory | 2,001,114 | 46.88% | ||
| Libertarian | Michael Munger | 121,585 | 2.85% | ||
Approval Rating as Governor
After an initial peak in popularity after her inauguration, Governor Perdue's approval rating has dropped, averaging in the low 30's since June 2009.
| Polling Organization | Date | Approve | Disapprove | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPP | 11/9 - 11/11/09 | 30% | 49% | 22% |
| Elon University | 10/26 - 10/29/09 | 36% | 47% | 18% |
| Citivas / McLaughlin | 10/20 - 10/21/09 | 43% | 49% | 8% |
| Citivas / Survey USA | 9/29 - 9/30 | 29% | 63% | 8% |
| Rasmussen | 9/15/09 | 40% | 58% | 2% |
| Public Policy Polling | 8/4 - 8/10/09 | 27% | 52% | 21% |
| Public Policy Polling | 7/10 - 7/12/09 | 25% | 55% | 20% |
| Public Policy Polling | 6/12 - 6/14/09 | 30% | 53% | 17% |
| Public Policy Polling | 5/8 - 5/10/09 | 34% | 51% | 15% |
| Public Policy Polling | 4/8 - 4/11/09 | 41% | 40% | 19% |
| Public Policy Polling | 3/12 - 3/15/09 | 44% | 35% | 21% |
| Civitas Institute | 2/16 - 2/19/09 | 52% | 16% | 32 % |
| Public Policy Polling | 1/17 - 1/18/09 | 60% | 24% | 16% |
Data provided by Pollster.
References
- ^ News & Observer: Rocking chairs, part two. If colonial governors are included, Perdue is the 100th chief executive of the state.
- ^ Washington Post and State letterhead indicate that she places her second husband's surname, Eaves, before her first husband's surname, Perdue.
- ^ "Perdue's change of birthdate". News & Observer. http://projects.newsobserver.com/blogs/perdues_change_of_birthdate.
- ^ a b c d Teague Beckwith, Ryan and Jones, Denise (2007-03-26). Beverly Perdue. The News & Observer. Retrieved on 2008-11-05 from http://projects.newsobserver.com/dome/profiles/beverly_perdue.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Looking for real reform in the governor's race". Independent Weekly. 2008-10-15. http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A266928. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ a b c Romoser, James (2008-11-05). "Perdue, in a first, edges McCrory". Winston-Salem Journal. http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2008/nov/05/050227/perdue-in-a-first-edges-mccrory/news-ncpolitics/. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ Perdue campaign press release
- ^ Emily's List
- ^ State Board of Elections
- ^ a b c Johnson, Mark; Benjamin Niolet (2008-11-02). "Race for Governor Remains Close". The News & Observer. http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1278609.html. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
- ^ a b "Is the Southern Strategy Dead?". American Prospect. 2008-10-24. http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=is_the_southern_strategy_dead. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
- ^ "McCrory visits Chapel Hill". Daily Tar Heel. 2008-10-30. http://www.dailytarheel.com/news/state_national/mccrory_visits_chapel_hill. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ "McCrory for governor: Charlotte mayor would bring fresh and innovative leadership to Raleigh". Daily Tar Heel. 2008-10-26. http://www.dailytarheel.com/opinion/mccrory_for_governor_charlotte_mayor_would_bring_fresh_and_innovative_leadership_to_raleigh. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ News & Observer: Perdue's Mayberry Miracle
- ^ Gary Robertson (2008-11-04). "Democrat Perdue becomes NC's 1st female governor". Associated Press.
- ^ Zernike, Kate (2008-05-18). "She Just Might Be President Someday". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/weekinreview/18zernike.html.
- ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29494123/
- ^ Perdue veto kills confidentiality bill
External links
- North Carolina Office of Governor Beverly Perdue official government site
- Project Vote Smart - Lt. Governor Beverly Eaves 'Bev' Perdue (NC) profile
- News & Observer: Perdue's inaugural address
- Follow the Money - Beverly Eaves Perdue
- Bev Perdue for Governor official campaign website
- North Carolina Democratic Party
- News & Observer: Perdue announces bid for governor Mark Johnson, The News & Observer, October 1, 2007
- News & Observer: Perdue's Resumes
- News & Observer: Perdue aims to be a gutsy governor
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dennis A. Wicker |
Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina 2001-2009 |
Succeeded by Walter H. Dalton |
| Preceded by Mike Easley |
Governor of North Carolina 2009–present |
Incumbent |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Joe Biden Vice President of the United States Jill Biden Second Lady of the United States |
United States order of precedence (while in North Carolina) as of 2009[update] |
Succeeded by Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House of Representatives |
| Preceded by David Paterson |
United States order of precedence (while outside North Carolina) as of 2009[update] |
Succeeded by Donald Carcieri |
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