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 (née Moore; January 14, 1947) is an American businesswoman, politician, and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 73rd governor of North Carolina from 2009 to 2013. She was the first female governor of North Carolina.

Perdue started her political career in the 1980s, serving in the North Carolina House of Representatives. She then served five terms in the North Carolina Senate, before she was elected as the 32nd Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. Perdue was elected to the office of Governor of North Carolina in 2008 against Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.

On January 26, 2012, facing sinking approval ratings, Perdue announced that she would not seek reelection in the 2012 gubernatorial election, becoming the first Democratic governor since Robert W. Scott to have served a single term, and is currently the only Democratic governor in the state's history to not seek re-election.

Early life and education

Beverly Marlene Moore was born in 1947 in Grundy, Virginia, the daughter of Alfred P. and Irene Morefield Moore. Her father was a coal miner and co-founder of a coal mining company, who went on to become CEO of a large utility company. She earned a B.A. degree in history in 1969 from the University of Kentucky, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, as well as a M.Ed. degree in community college administration in 1974 and a Ph.D., degree in Education Administration in 1976, both from the University of Florida.

North Carolina legislature

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

Elections

In 1990, she ran for the State Senate in North Carolina's 3rd Senate District, vacated by retiring State Senator Bill Barker (D-Pamlico County). In 1996, she won re-election against Republican Holt Faircloth, Carteret County Commissioner, 60%-40%. In 1998, she won re-election against Republican George Hipps 60%-40%.

Tenure

During her last three terms in the Senate, she served as co-chair of the Appropriations Committee While she was in office, the General Assembly increased teacher pay and passed Governor Hunt's Excellent Schools Act and Smart Start. Additionally, she led the debate that created North Carolina's Clean Water Management Trust Fund. She fought for more benefits for senior citizens.

Committee assignments

She served in the House Judiciary Committee. She was Chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee.

Lieutenant governor

Perdue being sworn in during 2005

In 2000, she defeated Republican Betsy Cochrane for the lieutenant governor's seat, becoming North Carolina's first female lieutenant governor; she was re-elected in 2004. As lieutenant governor, Perdue's most significant act was casting the tie-breaking vote that established the North Carolina Education Lottery.

2008 gubernatorial election

Perdue announced her 2008 candidacy for governor on October 1, 2007, at her hometown, New Bern, North Carolina.

On May 6, 2008, Perdue won the Democratic nomination for governor, defeating State Treasurer Richard H. Moore and Dennis Nielsen.

Perdue raised $15 million for the general election and ran ads against her Republican opponent, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, criticizing him for not being tough enough on illegal immigration.

Her 2008 gubernatorial campaign was under both state and federal investigation for donation irregularities and was fined $30,000 in 2010. Despite a national Democratic tide and Perdue's fundraising edge, in the general election campaign McCrory led Perdue at first; Perdue slowly gained as the Democratic candidate. Perdue and McCrory remained close, with the two often polling in a statistical tie in what was the closest race for governor in the nation. Perdue ran slightly behind her opponent in polls released the week before the election. Pundits speculated that Perdue was hurt by current Democratic Governor Mike Easley's decreasing popularity and McCrory's efforts to tag her as part of the Political corruption in Raleigh: consultants mentioned Perdue's "difficulty of being the candidate of continuity in a change election."

While McCrory received the endorsement of most major newspapers in the state (which typically endorse Democrats), Perdue received the endorsement of actor and director Andy Griffith, who filmed a campaign ad on her behalf.

Perdue defeated McCrory on November 4, 2008, 50.3% to 46.9%.

Late reporting fine

In late 2010, Perdue's 2008 campaign came under State and Federal investigation for the late reporting of 41 private flights. The campaign was fined $30,000 in August 2010 by the State Board of Elections for the late reporting of flights which were discovered after a 2009 self-audit, but that body declined to investigate further after deciding that the Perdue Campaign did not intentionally violate the law.

Governor of North Carolina

Perdue was sworn in as the 73rd Governor of North Carolina on January 10, 2009.

Political positions

Perdue's Senate record followed the lines of the Democratic caucus. As a member of the Board of Community Colleges, she voted against allowing illegal immigrants to attend the schools even if they graduated from a North Carolina high school. She had previously said she would admit every high school graduate to community college tuition-free. In late February and early March 2009, she announced that $93 million from the educational lottery would be used to ensure there is money available for the state's day-to-day operations.

In her first use of the veto power, Gov. Perdue vetoed a bill that would have made various documents that lawmakers use in drafting legislation confidential.

She also vetoed a bill that would have required voters to show photo ID before casting their ballots.

She vetoed a bill that would have allowed fracking in North Carolina. The veto was overridden in July 2012.

Perdue signed Susie's Law in 2010, which authorizes up to ten months in jail for convicted perpetrators of cruelty to animals.

Personal life

She is an Episcopalian. Before entering public service, Perdue worked as a public school teacher, as director of geriatric services at a community hospital in her hometown of New Bern, and earned a Ph.D. in Education Administration.

Perdue lives in New Bern. She has been married to Robert Wendell Eaves, Jr. since 1997 and has two grown sons, Garrett (b. 1976) and Emmett (b. 1979), from her previous marriage to Gary Perdue, which lasted from 1970 to 1994. She continues to use "Perdue" as her last name, using her current married name as her middle name.

Post-governorship

In Spring 2013, she served as a Resident Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. Following her Harvard fellowship, she started an education consulting business.

In August 2013, Perdue became a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, where she worked with faculty and students and also served as an adviser for Duke's Center for Child and Family Policy.

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

Electoral history

All data is from the State Board of Elections.

See also

• List of female governors in the United States
• List of female lieutenant governors in the United States