Garrett Perdue

Biography

Garrett Perdue is the son of Gov. Beverly Perdue and a lobbyist with Womble Carlyle, the state's largest law firm.

Early Life and Education

Garrett Raymond Perdue Jr. was born Sept. 19, 1976, to Gary and Beverly Perdue.

His father was an attorney in New Bern; his mother, a health care consultant who later served in the legislature and as lieutenant governor and governor. 

He has a younger brother, Emmett; a stepsister, Charlotte Bock; and a stepbrother, Robert Eaves III.

Starting in 1994, he attended UNC-Chapel Hill, earning a bachelor's degree in English with a focus on creative writing in May of 1999.

In college, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and friends with students who died in a fire in the fraternity house on Mother's Day in 1996, one of the worst campus-related accidents in UNC history.

In 1998, he worked as a summer intern for Raleigh lobbyist Zeb Alley.

From 1999 to 2001, he worked as director of policy and research for his mother's campaign for lieutenant governor. A lifelong Democrat, he had previously been active in her state Senate campaigns.

In 2001, he briefly worked for his mother in the lieutenant governor's office, helping with speech writing and other office duties. He was paid from campaign funds.

That fall, he returned to law school at UNC.

In the summer of 2003, he served as a law clerk on John Edwards presidential campaign.

He earned a law degree in May of 2004 and was admitted to the North Carolina Bar on Aug. 26 to practice before all state courts. 

Family

On April 8, 2006, he married April Hardison Perdue, an early intervention program teacher who works with preschoolers at the Lucy Daniels Center in Raleigh. 

Their daughter, Amelia Eaves Perdue, or "Millie," was born July 22, 2007. 

Professional Career

While still in law school in 2002 and 2003, he was a summer associate at Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice, the largest law firm in North Carolina.

From 2004 to 2006, he worked as a real estate attorney for Womble Carlyle. His work included landlord representation, lease litigation, permitting and economic incentives. 

In 2006, he was listed as a secretary of Quail Woods Village, a New Bern company owned by his mother that handled real estate development in Craven County.

In October of 2006, he was hired as senior vice president and general counsel of Corporate Realty Advisors, a corporate real estate firm based in Charlotte and Raleigh.

In 2007, the company was bought by real estate and investment management firm Jones Lang LaSalle, where he became a senior vice president of the tenant representation group.

He worked there until 2008. 

Lobbying Career

Perdue introduced his mother at the formal kickoff of her gubernatorial campaign in New Bern in 2007. One columnist said he was "a first-rate speaker."

He worked for the campaign full time, spending six weeks in Charlotte toward the end of the election filling in for his mother at forums and other local events.

He and his brother held the Bible when their mother was sworn in as governor. 

In February of 2009, shortly after his mother's inauguration, Womble Carlyle announced that Perdue was rejoining the firm as a lobbyist. 

His duties were described as working with former Gov. Jim Hunt on economic development projects and government relations strategy in Raleigh and Washington. A company bio says he advocates for clients with "federal and local government."

A company spokesman said he would not lobby state government, however.

In March, he and his wife attended his mother's first State of the State address as invited guests.

Later that month, he was seen at the legislature, but he did not return emails or voicemails and a company spokesman declined to explain the visit. He was also spotted at the N.C. Chamber's annual meeting and at the N.C. Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association's "Rush the Growler" event.

He is not registered as a lobbyist with the N.C. Secretary of State, the U.S. Senate or the U.S. House of Representatives, nor is he a member of the N.C. Professional Lobbyists Association.

He is a member of the N.C. Economic Developers Association, a group that offers training and advocacy on economic development issues.

In a statement to a local TV station, Gov. Perdue said she took her son's word for it that he is not lobbying. 

Research and reporting by Ryan Teague Beckwith. 

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