|
Office | District | Status |
| Insurance Comm. | Statewide | Incumbent | |
| Party | In Office Since | Term Ends | |
| Democrat | 2008 | 2012 | |
| Level of Government | |||
| Council of State | |||
| Date of Birth | Birthplace | Now Lives In | |
| February 22, 1967 | Hamlet, NC | Rockingham, NC | |
Synopsis | Wayne Goodwin is the state insurance commissioner. An attorney in Rockingham, he served four terms as a Democrat in the state House of Representatives starting in 1996. In 2004, he ran unsuccessfully for labor commissioner, losing to Cherie Berry. He then took a job as assistant commissioner under Insurance Commissioner Jim Long. His wife, Melanie Wade Goodwin, now serves in the state House in his old seat. On the last day of filing in 2008, Long announced he would not run again at the same time that Goodwin filed for the job. He beat Republican candidate John Odom in November. |
Trivia |
He shares his birthday with George Washington. |
Endorsements |
AFL-CIO of N.C., Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, N.C. Association of Educators, Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, Jim Long, insurance commissioner; Paul Miller, director of N.C. State Firemen's Association; Harold Webb, Wake County Commissioner |
Biography
|
Marital Status
Married
Spouse
Melanie Wade Goodwin
Children
Daughter, Madison
|
Wayne Goodwin is the state insurance commissioner and husband of a state representative.
Early Life and Education
Wayne Goodwin was born Feb. 22, 1967, in Hamlet, N.C., to George and Diane Goodwin. His father worked as a farmer and grocer. Diane worked as a mill worker before getting a job as a teacher's assistant.
Goodwin attended Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham, N.C. He was valedictorian, student body president and the first Morehead scholar from Richmond Senior High School.
After graduating high school in 1985, he attended UNC-Chapel Hill, where he graduated in 1989 with a bachelor of arts in political science. He also graduated with honors.
Goodwin then attended law school at UNC and graduated in 1992.
Family
He is married to Melanie Wade Goodwin, a state representative in his old legislative seat. They have an 8-year-old daughter named Madison and a 2-year old son named Jackson.
Professional Career
After law school, Goodwin worked for the law offices of Woody Gunter in Rockingham for six years. He went on to own and operate Goodwin Law Offices for seven years.
Political Career
In 1996 he was elected to the state House of Representatives. He was elected four times, representing Richmond, Montgomery, Scotland and Stanly counties.
In 2004 Goodwin unsuccessfully ran for labor commissioner.
After the election, longtime Insurance Commissioner Jim Long invited Goodwin to his staff. He served as assistant general counsel before becoming the assistant commissioner of insurance and the assistant state fire marshal, positions which he currently held until he took the oath of office as insurance commissioner in January 2009.
Insurance Commissioner '08
On the last day of filing in 2008, Long unexpectedly announced he would not run for a seventh term and endorsed Goodwin.
He beat David C. Smith in the Democratic primary, then beat the Republican candidate, former Raleigh City Councilman John Odom, and the Libertarian candidate, Mark McMains.
He was endorsed by the state chapter of the AFL-CIO, former Gov. Jim Hunt, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, and Insurance Commissioner Jim Long.
Research and reporting by Matt Tomsic and Ryan Teague Beckwith.
Occupation
| assistant commissioner of insurance N.C. Department of Insurance |
Community Involvement:
Raleigh Kiwanis Club, Vice Pres of N.C. Center
for Voter Education, member of Board of Directors of Methodist Home for Children, Chairman of Platform committee of N.C. Democratic Party, member of First United Methodist Church in Rockingham.
Education
| bachelor of arts UNC-Chapel Hill Graduated: 1989 |
juris doctorate UNC-Chapel Hill Graduated: 1992 |
