Bev Perdue facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bev Perdue
73rd Governor of North Carolina
In office January 10, 2009 – January 5, 2013
Lieutenant	Walter Dalton
Preceded by	Mike Easley
Succeeded by	Pat McCrory
32nd Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
In office January 6, 2001 – January 10, 2009
Governor	Mike Easley
Preceded by	Dennis Wicker
Succeeded by	Walter Dalton
Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 3rd district
In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Bill Barker
Succeeded by	Scott Thomas
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 3rd district
In office 1987–1991
Preceded by	Chris S. Barker, Jr.
Succeeded by	William L. Wainwright
Personal details
Born	Beverly Marlene Moore (1947-01-14) January 14, 1947 (age 78) Grundy, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Gary Perdue ​ ​ (m. 1970; div. 1994)​ Bob Eaves ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	2
Education	University of Kentucky (BA) University of Florida (MEd, PhD)

Beverly Marlene Eaves Perdue, born on January 14, 1947, is an American businesswoman and politician. She was a member of the Democratic Party. She served as the 73rd governor of North Carolina from 2009 to 2013. She was the first woman to be governor of North Carolina.

Bev Perdue started her political journey in the 1980s. She served in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Then, she served five terms in the North Carolina Senate. After that, she was elected as the 32nd Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. Perdue was elected as Governor of North Carolina in 2008. She ran against Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.

On January 26, 2012, Perdue announced she would not run for re-election. She was the first Democratic governor since Robert W. Scott to serve only one term. She is also the only Democratic governor in North Carolina's history not to seek re-election.

Early Life and Education

Beverly Marlene Moore was born in 1947 in Grundy, Virginia. Her parents were Alfred P. and Irene Morefield Moore. Her father was a coal miner. He also helped start a coal mining company. Later, he became the CEO of a large utility company.

Bev Perdue earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in history in 1969. She studied at the University of Kentucky. She was part of the Kappa Kappa Gamma group there. She also earned a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in 1974. This was in community college administration. In 1976, she earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. This was in Education Administration. Both of these degrees were from the University of Florida.

Serving in the North Carolina Legislature

Bev Perdue is a Democrat. She served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1987 to 1991. She then served in the North Carolina Senate from 1991 to 2001. In the House, she represented Craven, Lenoir, and Pamlico counties. In the Senate, she represented Craven, Carteret, and Pamlico counties.

Legislative Elections

In 1990, she ran for the State Senate in North Carolina's 3rd Senate District. This seat was open because State Senator Bill Barker was retiring. In 1996, she won re-election. She ran against Republican Holt Faircloth. In 1998, she won re-election again. She ran against Republican George Hipps.

Key Achievements in the Legislature

During her last three terms in the Senate, she helped lead the Appropriations Committee. While she was in office, the General Assembly increased teacher pay. They also passed Governor Jim Hunt's Excellent Schools Act. The Smart Start program was also passed.

She also led the discussion that created North Carolina's Clean Water Management Trust Fund. This fund helps protect the state's water. She also worked to get more benefits for senior citizens.

Committee Roles

In the House, she served on the Judiciary Committee. In the Senate, she was the Chairwoman of the Education Committee.

Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina

Perdue being sworn in during 2005

In 2000, Bev Perdue won the election for lieutenant governor. She defeated Republican Betsy Cochrane. She became North Carolina's first female lieutenant governor. She was re-elected in 2004.

As lieutenant governor, Perdue made an important decision. She cast the tie-breaking vote that created the North Carolina Education Lottery. This lottery helps fund education in the state.

2008 Governor Election

Bev Perdue announced she would run for governor on October 1, 2007. She made the announcement in her hometown, New Bern, North Carolina. On May 6, 2008, Perdue won the Democratic nomination for governor. She defeated State Treasurer Richard H. Moore and Dennis Nielsen.

Perdue raised a lot of money for her campaign. She ran ads against her Republican opponent, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory. She won the election against McCrory on November 4, 2008. She received 50.3% of the votes, while McCrory received 46.9%.

Governor of North Carolina

Bev Perdue became the 73rd Governor of North Carolina on January 10, 2009.

Political Views and Actions

As governor, Perdue's actions generally followed the Democratic Party's ideas. She voted against allowing undocumented immigrants to attend community colleges. This was even if they had graduated from a North Carolina high school.

In early 2009, she announced that $93 million from the education lottery would be used. This money would help with the state's daily operations.

Using Veto Power

Governor Perdue used her veto power for the first time on a bill. This bill would have made documents used by lawmakers private. She vetoed it.

She also vetoed a bill that would have required voters to show a photo ID. This was before they could cast their ballots. She also vetoed a bill that would have allowed fracking in North Carolina. Fracking is a way to get natural gas from the ground. This veto was later overturned in July 2012.

In 2010, Perdue signed Susie's Law. This law allows up to ten months in jail for people convicted of cruelty to animals.

Comments on Elections

On September 27, 2011, Perdue talked about the idea of pausing Congressional elections. She said that Congress needed to work together more. She hoped they could focus on fixing problems. Her press secretary later said that her statement was meant as a joke.

Hurricane Irene Response

Governor Perdue led the state's preparations and response to Hurricane Irene in 2011. Many people saw this as a very important moment during her time as governor.

Eugenics Compensation

Governor Perdue supported a plan to pay people who were victims of North Carolina's eugenics program. This program forced some people, mostly women, to be sterilized. This meant they could not have children. Perdue said that no amount of money could make up for what happened. But she believed the state needed to do something. She also agreed that there should be a permanent exhibit. This would help people remember this sad part of the state's history.

Funding Education

Governor Bev Perdue asked the General Assembly to temporarily bring back a small part of the state sales tax. This was to reverse cuts made to education funding.

Expanding Pre-Kindergarten

Governor Perdue signed an order to expand the NC Pre-K program. This program helps young children get ready for school. The expansion aimed to serve up to 6,300 more children by January 1, 2013.

Perdue said that North Carolina has always focused on educating its children. She believed that preparing kids for the future workforce was very important. She noted that thousands of young students had been cut from the Pre-K program. This was after the General Assembly cut early education funding by 20 percent.

Wilmington 10 Pardons

On December 31, 2012, Governor Perdue granted full pardons of innocence to the Wilmington 10. These were ten civil rights activists who were wrongly convicted in 1971. Perdue stated that their convictions were unfair and showed racism. She said that justice required this "stain" to be removed from North Carolina's justice system.

Perdue pointed to new evidence. This included notes from the prosecutor who chose the jury. The notes showed the prosecutor preferred white jurors. One black juror was described in a negative way. Perdue also noted that a federal court had ruled that the prosecutor knew his main witness had lied. That witness and others later said they had lied.

Personal Life

Bev Perdue is an Episcopalian. Before she entered public service, she worked as a public school teacher. She was also the director of services for older adults at a hospital in New Bern. She earned her Ph.D. in Education Administration.

Perdue lives in New Bern. She has been married to Robert Wendell Eaves, Jr. since 1997. She has two adult sons, Garrett (born 1976) and Emmett (born 1979). They are from her first marriage to Gary Perdue, which lasted from 1970 to 1994. She still uses "Perdue" as her last name. Her current married name is used as her middle name.

After Being Governor

In Spring 2013, she was a Resident Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. After her time at Harvard, she started a business that advises on education.

In August 2013, Perdue became a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. There, she worked with teachers and students. She also advised Duke's Center for Child and Family Policy.

Perdue was named to the Governing Board of the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2017. She was re-appointed in 2021. She became the board's first female chair in 2018. She was re-elected to this role in 2021.

See also

In Spanish: Bev Perdue para niños