Public Financing

FYI - I thought you might be interested in this press release from my campaign.

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Wayne Goodwin's Insurance Commissioner Campaign Receives Qualifying Contributions from Ashe to Yancey: State Board of Elections Certifies Campaign for Public Funding; Goodwin Leads in Polls

In the pilot public financing program for Council of State offices, the State Board of Elections has certified that Wayne Goodwin has met the qualifications for public financing as the Democratic Party's nominee.

Did I post this yet?

There's a lot of attention being paid to the Democratic Presidential primary. And with good reason: We're about to nominate someone who will reverse the disastrous course that the Bush Republicans have set us on.

But there are candidates running in down-ballot races who need your help today!

Democratic candidates for the Court of Appeals, State Auditor, Commissioner of Insurance, and Superintendent of Public Instruction must each receive a certain number of contributions of at least $10 in order to qualify for public financing.

I believe fellow BlueNC'ers will enjoy and appreciate this week's article by Bob Geary of The Independent Weekly.

In it he writes:

Four years ago, Democrat Wayne Goodwin was running for state labor commissioner, and his campaign consisted mainly of long days trapped in a cubicle with a telephone, as he called everyone he knew and asked for contributions. Campaigns, he decided, were "like a modern-day Frankenstein's monster, scaring the villagers and candidates alike" with their insatiable demands for money.

To read the remainder of the article, then go to

Wayne Goodwin yesterday became the first 2008 Insurance Commissioner candidate to refuse special interest money: Challenges Dem, GOP opponents to do the same

Note from James:

This is one of those special moments in politics where a $20 contribution to a Democrat from an average citizen counts just as much as a $2000 contribution from an insurance executive to a Republican. Wayne needs 750 registered North Carolina voters to step up in the next few weeks. Please consider supporting this important effort.

Back in the 1700s, fear of King-picked Royal Governors and their great powers helped sow strong sentiments against strong State executives. Those seeds sprouted into many revisions of our State constitution, guaranteeing a weak governor and a State government with decentralized executive authority.