Circosta to head voter group

Damon Circosta will head the N.C. Center for Voter Education.

The nonprofit group, which promotes public campaign financing, announced today that Circosta, its policy director for the past two years, would become executive director.

"This is an important and exciting time for positive reform in our state," Circosta said in a statement. "I look forward to the Center doing all we can to make our political system more accessible and responsive to North Carolina voters."

A native of Arizona, Circosta has worked as an attorney and political consultant in Washington, D.C.; California and Raleigh. He has worked on the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform act and North Carolina's public financing of several Council of State races.

In 2006, he served as the statewide campaign manager for N.C. Appeals Court Judge Robert C. Hunter.

In his new job, Circosta will seek to expand North Carolina's public financing. Bills under consideration by the legislature this session would extend the program to all statewide races but the governor and lieutenant governor, or just add the state treasurer.