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It's not only possible to become a state legislator without getting elected, but 31 of the 170 members of the legislature have done it.

Those lawmakers first took office after being selected by a small group of their party's leaders and then being appointed by the governor.

Since the current legislative term began in January, six lawmakers have taken office after their predecessor resigned or, in one case, died. A seventh new legislator will be selected soon to replace Sen. David Weinstein, D-Lumberton, who resigned in September. When a lawmaker leaves office early, his or her party leaders select a replacement who is appointed by the governor.

N.C. Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin helped push the candidacy of newly-elected Rep. Chris Heagarty, of Raleigh.

In the days leading up to Saturday's vote for Heagarty, Goodwin signed on to a mail piece endorsing him (click the link below), as did two legislators, and the brochure was distributed to Democratic Party leaders in the 41st district. Ty Harrell resigned that seat in September amid a campaign finance investigation. Under the law, leaders from the outgoing lawmaker's party pick his or her successor.

Goodwin and Heagarty are both Democrats, as are Rep. Pricey Harrison, of Greensboro, and Rosa Gill, of Raleigh, who also appeared in the brochure. Goodwin was on the board of the N.C. Center for Voter Education for two of the seven years that Heagarty was director, and the two are good enough friends that they were at each other's weddings.

Heagarty also was aided by an endorsement from Wake County teachers.

Rosa Gill, the soon-to-be newest member of the General Assembly, says she'll be a strong advocate for education.

Gill doesn't expect she'll be seated in time for next week's budget discussions in the state House. But she plans to make her voice heard when the final votes are taken later this session on the budget.

"Maybe I can persuade them not to cut as much from schools," said Gill, who is currently chairwoman of the Wake County school board. "I'm going to be an advocate for education when I get there."

The executive committee of the Wake County Democratic Party has named Wake school board chairwoman Rosa Gill to fill the state House seat being vacated by Dan Blue.

Gill narrowly defeated Bernard Allen Jr. this evening, picking up 21 votes, one more than needed for the District 33 seat. Gov. Bev Perdue still needs to appoint Gill but under state law she has to take the Democratic Party's choice because Blue is from that party.

The school board will now have to pick a replacement for Gill's District 4 seat, which covers Southeast Raleigh. The other eight members will appoint a replacement to finish out Gill's term, which expires November 2011.

Four candidates are seeking Dan Blue's old House seat.

The Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, a civil rights group, will hold a candidate forum with the Wake African American Caucus on Saturday to recommend a replacement for Blue, who moved to the Senate last month.

The announced candidates are:

* Bernard Allen II, 44, N.C. State Employees Association and son of former legislator

* Abeni El-Amin, 32, chairwoman of the Raleigh Human Relations Commission

* Rosa Gill, 65, chair of the Wake County school board

* Paul Terrell III, 42, manufacturing maintenance technician, Durham Cree Lighting

RWCA President Daniel Coleman said it was  "a younger pool of candidates" than the previous time, when Blue was chosen to replace Rep. Bernard Allen.

After the forum, the RWCA will make a recommendation to the Wake County Democratic Party, which will name Blue's replacement on June 11. 

Two candidates have announced for an open House seat.

Bernard Allen II, son of a former state legislator, and Wake County school board member Rosa Gill are running for the District 33 seat.

The seat was formerly held by former Speaker Dan Blue, who resigned on May 19 when he was appointed to the state Senate.

Blue had held the House seat for years until he ran an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate in 2002. He was replaced by Bernard Allen, who died in 2006. Blue was then appointed back to his old seat.

Allen and Gill will speak at a forum on June 6 sponsored by the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, a civil rights group. Other candidates will likely announce before that forum.

The RWCA will vote on its recommendation, which will likely be followed by the local Democratic Party. Gov. Beverly Perdue will then appoint the winner. 

A straw poll recommended Rep. Dan Blue move to the Senate.

About 50 people at a forum sponsored by the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association Saturday cast an unofficial vote on who should fill former Sen. Vernon Malone's seat.

The candidates were Blue, Bernard Allen Jr., former educator Carol Dalenko Bennett, Pfizer lobbyist Marlowe Foster, Wake school board member Rosa Gill, media consultant J. Mills Holloway, former DMV director Alexander Killens and St. Augustine's College provost Kim Luckes.

RWCA president Dan Coleman said that Blue won the straw poll by a significant margin, followed by Holloway.

The group's political action committee will meet tonight to take a formal vote. The result will then be forwarded to the Wake County Democratic Party, which will make a final nomination for Gov. Beverly Perdue.

"The Wake County Democratic Party is not necessarily beholden to that endorsement," said Coleman.

Results of the straw poll after the jump.

Nine people are running for former Sen. Vernon Malone's seat.

N&O education reporter Keung Hui forwarded this list of candidates who will speak at the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association meeting this weekend:

Rosa Gill, 64, chairwoman of Wake County School Board

Marlowe Foster, 38, lobbyist for Pfizer Corporation, ran unsuccessfully for Winston-Salem City Council in 2002.

Alexander Killens, 54, former director of N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles

Bernard Allen Jr., 44, son of former North Carolina representative

Dan Blue, 59, state representative, former speaker

Jay Holloway, Jr., 47, director of Learning Ventures, UNC Public Television

Kim Luckes, 52, executive vice president of St. Augustine's College

Carol Dalenko Bennett, 66, real estate broker, ran against Malone in 2008

Bruce Lightner, 61, president of Lightner Funeral Home

A former UNC-TV executive is interested in state Sen. Vernon Malone's seat.

Jay Holloway, who worked for the public television channel for nearly 14 years, announced recently that he is seeking the nomination of the Wake County Democratic Party for the seat left empty by Malone's recent death.

Holloway said he would announce a five-point plan to improve education and bring green jobs to the Triangle area.

"We must be innovative in offering real-life solutions to the everyday kitchen table discussions of the residents of District 14," he said in a statement.

Wake County school board member Rosa Gill, Pfizer lobbyist Marlowe W. Foster, and the son of former state Rep. Bernard Allen are also seeking the nomination.

The Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association will make a recommendation to the Wake County Democratic Party, which will name Malone's replacement.

Update: Former DMV director Alexander Killens has also announced he's running for the open seat.

Rosa Gill will also seek former state Sen. Vernon Malone's seat.

The Wake County board of education member said she will be among the candidates speaking at a forum Saturday sponsored by the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, Keung Hui reports.

Other announced candidates include Marlowe W. Foster, a lobbyist with Pfizer; and Bernard Allen II, the son of a former state representative.

Other rumored candidates include Alexander Killens, former director of the state's Division of Motor Vehicles; and state Rep. Dan Blue, a former House speaker.

The association will make a recommendation to the Wake County Democratic Party, which will name Malone's replacement on May 6.