| Wayne Goodwin | |
|---|---|
| North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 10, 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | James E. Long |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Melanie Wade Goodwin |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Profession | attorney |
George Wayne Goodwin was elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in the 2008 election.[1] Goodwin previously served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's sixty-eighth House district, including constituents in Richmond and Stanly counties. His prior district - the 32nd House district - also included Scotland and Montgomery Counties.
An attorney from Hamlet, North Carolina, Goodwin was a Morehead Scholar and U.S. Senate/William Randolph Hearst Scholar. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with honors in Political Science, and then went on to graduate from the UNC School of Law. After serving as President of the Young Democrats of North Carolina, Goodwin served four full terms in the state House. Goodwin campaigned as the Democratic nominee for the position of North Carolina Commissioner of Labor in the 2004 election, losing in a close race to incumbent Republican Cherie Berry. Wayne is married to Melanie Wade Goodwin, the who succeeded him as Representative of the Richmond County area for three terms in the legislature. They have a daughter, Madison Wade Goodwin, and a son, Jackson.[2] Following a family tradition, both children are named after U.S. Presidents. Goodwin has numerous family members also named after American leaders.
Goodwin served as the Assistant Commissioner of Insurance and Assistant State Fire Marshal for the State of North Carolina from 2005 through 2008. In 2008, Goodwin filed to run for Commissioner of Insurance after the surprise retirement of longtime Commissioner Jim Long.[3] Wayne Goodwin won the Democratic nomination for Insurance Commissioner with a solid victory, based on a broad, deep, and diverse team across the State and support from many sectors. Of great interest to political observers was his decision to become the first Insurance Commissioner candidate to refuse campaign contributions from special interests. The North Carolina State Board of Elections certified Goodwin's campaign for public financing in May 2008, the first of its kind for the pilot Voter-Owned Elections Program.
In 2007 he began operation of his own political blog, "Wayne's World", found at http://www.eighthdistrictdemsnc.blogspot.com.
Goodwin has also served as Vice Chairman of Southeast Zone of the North Carolina Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and the chairman of various consumer protection-related committees on the national level. In both his State and national work, Insurance Commissioner Goodwin has brought a level-headed, balanced approach to governance, focusing on consumer protection, fair pricing of products and services, a competitive/solvent market, and strong anti-fraud efforts.
Between taking the oath of office in January 2009 and June 2011, NC Insurance Commissioner Goodwin has saved individuals, families and businesses at least $1 Billion - through rate cuts, rebates, refunds, and other consumer protection measures.
Goodwin is the past president of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, a Raleigh-based nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving elections and strengthening civic engagement in North Carolina.[4]
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