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For immediate release.
Feb. 10, 2009
Contact: Bryan Warner, N.C. Center for Voter Education, 877-258-6837

Insurance Commissioner Goodwin Named President of N.C. Center for Voter Education

RALEIGH - State Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin has been named president of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving elections in North Carolina.

“For years, Commissioner Goodwin has been a leading champion of protecting the integrity of our state’s democracy,” said former U.S. Sen. Robert Morgan, founding president of the N.C. Center for Voter Education. “He brings a vision for strengthening our election system and a commitment to empowering North Carolina voters.”

Prior to being elected insurance commissioner in November, Goodwin was assistant commissioner of insurance and served eight years in the N.C. House, representing Richmond, Scotland, Montgomery and Stanly counties.

In his race for insurance commissioner last year, Goodwin participated in the Voter-Owned Elections Pilot, a program offering public campaign financing to candidates for three Council of State offices who rejected special interest money. The N.C. Center for Voter Education was a leading proponent of the program, modeled after the state’s system of public financing for judicial campaigns.

“I know from personal experience how public campaign financing allows candidates to spend less time dialing up donors and more time reaching out to voters,” said Goodwin. “As such, it is an honor to serve as president of an organization that has played a key role in North Carolina becoming a national model for sensible and successful campaign reform.”

Goodwin has served on the N.C. Center for Voter Education’s board of directors since 2005. A native of Hamlet, N.C., Goodwin was a Morehead Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill and is a graduate of the UNC School of Law. He is married to state Rep. Melanie Wade Goodwin, who represents N.C. House District 66, covering Montgomery and Richmond counties.

Founded in 1999, the N.C. Center for Voter Education is an advocate of campaign reform and a top source for information on elections and candidates. Last year, the organization assisted in the production of the State Board of Election’s voter guide, which was mailed to nearly 4 million homes across the state. The Center also partnered with UNC-TV to produce an online voter guide and series of televised candidate forums.

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Online: http://www.ncvotered.com

A photograph of Wayne Goodwin is available at:

http://www.ncvotered.com/downloads/goodwin.jpg