Carte Goodwin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carte Goodwin
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Official portrait, 2010
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| United States Senator from West Virginia |
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| In office July 16, 2010 – November 15, 2010 |
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| Appointed by | Joe Manchin |
| Preceded by | Robert Byrd |
| Succeeded by | Joe Manchin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Carte Patrick Goodwin
February 27, 1974 Mount Alto, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Rochelle Goodwin |
| Relations | Joseph Goodwin (uncle) Booth Goodwin (cousin) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Marietta College (BA) Emory University (JD) |
Carte Patrick Goodwin (born February 27, 1974) is an American lawyer and politician. For a few months in 2010, he served as a United States senator for the state of West Virginia. A senator is a person elected to help make laws for the whole country.
Goodwin is a member of the Democratic Party. He was not elected by voters. Instead, he was appointed by West Virginia's governor, Joe Manchin. This happened after the death of Senator Robert Byrd, who had held the job for a very long time. Goodwin's role was to fill the empty Senate seat until a special election could be held. He left office on November 15, 2010, after Joe Manchin won the election and was ready to take over.
Before and after his time in the Senate, Goodwin has worked as a successful lawyer. He also served as a commissioner on the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a group that advises the U.S. government on issues related to China.
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Early Life and Schooling
Carte Goodwin was born on February 27, 1974, in the small town of Mount Alto, West Virginia. He grew up in a family that was very involved in politics and public service. His father, Stephen, was in charge of the board for West Virginia University. His uncle, Joseph Robert Goodwin, was a top judge for a federal court in West Virginia.
Goodwin was a great student. He went to Ripley High School and graduated in 1992. He then attended Marietta College, where he studied philosophy and graduated with high honors (magna cum laude) in 1996. After college, he went to Emory University School of Law to become a lawyer. He earned his law degree (a JD) in 1999 and was part of the Order of the Coif, an honor society for top law students.
Career in Law and Politics
After finishing law school, Goodwin started his career by working for a federal judge named Robert Bruce King. This type of job, called a clerkship, is a great honor for new lawyers. From 2000 to 2005, he worked at his family's law firm.
Goodwin became involved in politics in 2004 when he helped Joe Manchin run for governor of West Virginia. After Manchin won, he gave Goodwin important jobs. Goodwin was the governor's main lawyer, or chief counsel, from 2005 to 2009. In this role, he helped write new laws to make coal mining safer after serious accidents happened at the Sago and Aracoma mines.
In 2009, Governor Manchin asked Goodwin to lead a group to study and suggest improvements to West Virginia's court system.
A Short Time as a U.S. Senator
On July 16, 2010, Governor Manchin chose Goodwin to take over the U.S. Senate seat of Robert Byrd, who had recently died. Goodwin knew this was a temporary job. He promised he would not run in the special election to keep the seat. Many people believed he was a "placeholder," meaning he was holding the spot for Governor Manchin, who did plan to run. Manchin later won the election.
Goodwin was officially sworn in as a senator on July 20, 2010. Even though his time in Washington, D.C. was short, he made important votes. He helped pass a law to extend payments to people who had lost their jobs. He also voted to approve Elena Kagan as a new justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
His term as a senator ended on November 15, 2010, when Joe Manchin took office. During his four months in the Senate, Goodwin was a member of several committees, including:
- Committee on Armed Services
- Committee on the Budget
- Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Committee on Rules and Administration
Life After the Senate
After leaving the Senate, Goodwin returned to his work as a lawyer. He joined the law firm Frost Brown Todd and became a leader in their office in Charleston, West Virginia.
In 2011, he was appointed to the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission. This commission studies the economic and security relationship between the U.S. and China. He served on this commission for many years.
Although some people thought he might run for the Senate again in 2014, Goodwin decided not to. He said he wanted to focus on his family. As of 2025, he continues to work as a partner at his law firm.
Personal Life
Carte Goodwin is married to Rochelle Goodwin. She also has experience in politics, having worked for Jay Rockefeller, another U.S. Senator from West Virginia. They have two children, a son named Wesley and a daughter named Anna.
Goodwin's family is full of public servants. His cousin, Booth Goodwin, was appointed by President Barack Obama to be the top lawyer for the federal government in southern West Virginia.
