Bev Perdue
Governor, NC
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Positive campaign, big primary win. Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue has emerged triumphant from her primary, thanks to historic turnout and her positive, issues-focused campaign. Hammered constantly with nasty attacks from her opponent, state Treasurer Richard Moore, Perdue refused to take the bait and voters rewarded her at the ballot box.
The next Ann Richards. A 14-year veteran of the state legislature and two-term lieutenant governor, Perdue is a leader on education and health care, an advocate for seniors, and a champion of progressive reform. She cosponsored legislation to ensure women's access to abortion clinics and to require insurance companies to cover birth control. She helped put the North Carolina Children's Health Insurance Program into action. Perdue would be the first pro-choice Democratic woman governor of a southern state since the late Ann Richards of Texas -- but it will be a costly fight. To become the first female governor of North Carolina, Perdue must raise $8 million for the primary and another $10 million for the general election.
More About Bev Perdue
Bev Perdue has climbed higher in North Carolina state government than any woman ever has -- and now she is shooting for the top spot: governor. Currently serving her second term as lieutenant governor, Perdue is a 14-year veteran of the state legislature. The state's Democratic governor, Mike Easley, is barred from seeking a third term, and Perdue is the leading candidate to be his successor. If she beats her well-funded Republican opponent in the general election, Perdue will be the first pro-choice Democratic woman governor of a southern state since the late Ann Richards of Texas.
Perdue is a former teacher with a Ph.D. in education administration, but it was her work as director of geriatrics at a community hospital that motivated her to run for office. She was the only woman in a six-person primary for a state House seat. "People scoffed at me," she recalls, "although that just put fire in my eyes. I won a crowded primary, and they've never again questioned whether a woman could win."
In the legislature, Perdue was a strong advocate for seniors and a champion for progressive reforms. She led efforts to improve the accountability of North Carolina's public schools, to initiate statewide early childhood education and developmental programs, and to boost teacher salaries from 43rd to 21st in the nation. As co-chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Perdue helped put the North Carolina Children's Health Insurance Program into action and, more recently, successfully fought for its expansion. Perdue cosponsored North Carolina's clinic access law and legislation requiring health insurers to cover contraception. As governor, Perdue will be a bulwark against right-wing anti-choice legislation that could have profound implications at the federal level and lead to further restrictions on reproductive freedom by the Bush Supreme Court.
Perdue was set on a path toward leadership by her mother, a strong role model who encouraged her to use her talents for the greater good. When she was 14, she got a note from her mother saying, "A woman who does not seek to make the most of herself is one whose spirit is dead." She has taken those words to heart, blazing trails for herself and making sure they are clear for other women to follow. "No longer do women have to focus on the three Hs: hairdos, hemlines, and husbands," says Perdue. "A woman can be limited only by her imagination."
The Political Situation
With the primary behind her, Perdue must prepare for an expensive battle against Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory. McCrory, who entered the race in January, has a slippery position on choice and a history of racially insensitive remarks and disingenuous job creation claims. McCrory plans a heavy television campaign to boost his name recognition around the state, which he will be able to fund courtesy of his many backers in North Carolina's big banking elite.
Perdue's folksy populism and record of initiating real changes for North Carolinians have made her a tremendously popular figure in the state. She has received every major group endorsement announced so far, including the North Carolina Association of Educators, the United Transportation Union, and the National Association of Social Workers. Purdue has a strong start out of the gate against McCrory and is called the "early favorite," in the race, but she will need at least $10 million to win the general election and become the first female governor of North Carolina.
The Issues
"Quality health care and education have been my two driving passions since long before I ever thought about running for office, and they remain my two overriding public policy commitments," says Perdue. "I am running for governor to make North Carolina the healthiest and best-educated state in the nation." Perdue will emphasize increasing the pay, status, and working conditions for public school teachers. She is developing a plan she calls the North Carolina College Promise to ensure that students who graduate from high school with good grades, good behavior, and community service have access to higher or continuing education.
Perdue is a leader in providing tax relief for working families. Her Working Families Agenda helped increase North Carolina's minimum wage above the federal standard and establish a state earned income tax credit for low-income families. As governor, she will continue to promote the Working Families Agenda, which includes strong support for child care assistance and affordable housing.
Perdue has played a critical role in making North Carolina a biotechnology powerhouse, a significant source of job creation. Her NC Green Fund would provide grants to businesses that develop alternative, sustainable energy sources, green building design, and other clean technologies. "North Carolina should be a leader in developing a green economy," she says. "We have all the right assets, tremendous agricultural diversity, a thriving biotech sector, and world-class researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs." On taxes, she says, "my main concern is to make our tax structure more equitable for our middle- and low-income families, as well as for small businesses."
Perdue cosponsored legislation to create the online sex offender registry and is working to strengthen laws against child predators, particularly those who use the Internet to prey on children. She supported tougher penalties for hate crimes. As governor, she will empower local law enforcement units by making sure they have the technology, expertise, and personnel to combat gang violence and other types of violent crime.
Perdue championed North Carolina's Senior Care prescription drug benefit, which the state AARP called the best in the nation. She has also championed efforts to reduce teen smoking. She has released a detailed plan to ensure affordable and quality health care for all North Carolinians. "We must start covering uninsured parents as well as children, because health insurance is a family matter," Perdue says. She will work to make private insurance more affordable, especially for small business employees and self-employed individuals, and says, "preventive care is the only real way to control the underlying cost of health care in the long run."
Perdue was a driving force behind legislation that resulted in $1.3 billion to restore degraded waters and protect unpolluted waters in North Carolina. She is committed to preserving the state's environment while simultaneously encouraging economic growth. She supports providing start-up money for environmentally friendly enterprises, and promoting conservation and efficiency to help the state meet future energy demands.
Perdue is committed to preserving women's reproductive freedom. "As North Carolina's next governor, I will veto any legislation not consistent with Roe v. Wade, even if the current Supreme Court overturns Roe as a constitutional matter," says Perdue.," says Perdue.
May 2008