Wild About Wayne

Regular BlueNC readers know Wayne Goodwin as a familiar friend who makes enormous contributions to our State. So when he called me yesterday, I was hoping to hear he had decided to throw his hat into the ring for Commissioner of Labor. Alas, Wayne has decided not to enter that race for a host of good reasons he has outlined in the message below.

Choosing not to run is almost as hard as choosing TO run, so please let Wayne know you support his decision when you have a moment.

Thanks for all you do, Wayne.

August 28, 2007

To My Dear Friends and Supporters:

Four years ago this month – after serving eight years in the North
Carolina House of Representatives – I formally announced my candidacy
for Commissioner of Labor. I ran in 2004 out of a sense of mission – for our
economy, for my hometown that had been devastated by major job losses, and
for what I believed was right for the State and my political party.

I was honored to receive the Democratic nomination and to
share my passion and ideas about the role of the office of Labor
Commissioner with tens of thousands of voters across the Tar Heel state.
Of course, running against a sitting Commissioner of Labor and being the
only Democrat running Statewide in 2004 against an incumbent Republican, I
knew it was going to be a challenge.

...

... [I]n the waning days of the 2004 election the poll numbers in North
Carolina of those Democrats running for President and Vice President, as
well as for U.S. Senate, took a dip. As a result, so did mine. ... By all
accounts, it was a respectable loss. (Taking the sting
out of the loss was personal joy for my wife who was
elected by an ultra-landslide to succeed me in the legislature.)

Immediately thereafter my friends and supporters insisted that I run again
for North Carolina Labor Commissioner. After all, they reminded me, many
State officials often have won election on their second try after an
initial trial run.

Over the last 30 months I have continued my travels and speaking
engagements and modest fundraising around the Tar Heel State, all the
while exploring my plans for next year. Everywhere I was invited the call
was strong and encouraging: Don’t give up. Do run again. You’re
a great candidate who ran for the right reasons.

After more than two years of intense deliberation with my immediate family
and my closest friends and supporters, and most particularly during the
last several weeks as I reached a self-imposed deadline for a formal
decision, I hereby issue the following statement:

I will not be a candidate for North Carolina Commissioner
of Labor in 2008.

This decision affords me the opportunity to further focus on the needs of
my family, the most immediate members of which still are impacted by the
rigors and fundraising pressures of my 2004 bid.

This decision also affords me the opportunity to continue my full-time
duties serving as Assistant Commissioner of Insurance under the
outstanding leadership of Insurance Commissioner Jim Long
and to volunteer for him in his 2008 campaign for
re-election.

This decision will give other Democrats the opportunity to consider being
a candidate for Labor Commissioner, and to organize in advance of filing
for that office in January.

More importantly, this decision allows me to give my priority
support, time, and talents to State Representative Melanie Wade Goodwin as
she seeks re-election to her third term in the General Assembly.

Having traversed this State a multitude of times over the last ten years,
I assure you that we Democrats have an able array of candidates who will
be able to run, win and serve as North Carolina’s next Labor
Commissioner.

The Democratic nominee will run for the right reasons:

The Democratic nominee will fight for a Labor
Commissioner who actually believes in the office and in representing the
working people of this State, and actually stands for living wages and
affordable healthcare.

The Democratic nominee will be a Labor Commissioner who
is fair to both business owners and workers when matters come before the
Department of Labor ...

The Democratic nominee will rightly argue that it is just
plain wrong for us to have a Commissioner of Labor who is absent from the
post for the most part, and who instead relies heavily upon unnecessary
posting of both her photograph on every elevator and escalator in the
State and gimmicky songs by erstwhile supporters on the Internet.

The Democratic nominee will say it is time to have the
office ... adapt more quickly to the 21st century.

The Democratic nominee will rightly contend that the
office should not only stand up for workers, but also fight for small
businesses to help them keep their workers comp rates low and being a part
of the State’s team that brings and keeps jobs in this State, instead of
claiming – like the current Labor Commissioner - that the office should
have no role whatsoever.

With those Democratic candidates, I stand ready and willing to help in
whatever way possible for those good and noble causes.

There is also another role in my future. Having raised more money than
my opponents in every race I have run for the last 10 years, and with the
specific insights gained from my 2004 statewide campaign, I fully
understand how campaign fundraising can quickly turn into a “money
chase” and poison the best of intentions of good candidates. To
keep their campaigns viable, candidates are forced to seek large
contributions from the very political action committees (PACs) fed by the
industries the office sought regulates. Accordingly, I will continue my
strong support for voluntary public financing of certain elections so that
North Carolina will have fewer campaign finance scandals and fewer
conflicts of interest, and more good candidates who actually represent the
voters and not the special interests. To accomplish additional positive
election reforms, I am pleased to have a more pronounced role as a member
of the Board for the North Carolina Center for Voter Education.

Making the decision to forego a repeat run for Labor Commissioner was
not easy.

It was not easy because of my passion for public
service.

It was not easy because I believe we can do even better things
with the office of Labor Commissioner.

It was also not easy because of the outpouring of support
in 2004 and vibrant encouragement I have
received since then to run in 2008.

As many Democrats statewide know, my involvement in and my commitment to
politics – the art of the possible – and to good government
will remain a prominent and integral part of my life. ...

To my friends and supporters who have stressed for me not to give
up, rest assured: I have not and will not.

Because of the satisfaction it provides my longing for public service, one
day I do anticipate running again for elective office.

Until that time comes, I am confident that my life will be the calmest and
most relaxing since before 1996 when first my name appeared on a public
ballot.

For that, and for the dear family members, friends and supporters
who have been with me all the way and made it possible, I am
especially grateful.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my decision.