Wayne Goodwin
Wayne Goodwin (Democratic Party) was the North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance. He assumed office in 2009. He left office on January 1, 2017.
Goodwin (Democratic Party) ran for election for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Goodwin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Goodwin is a former Democratic North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance. He was first elected in 2008 and won re-election in 2012. He campaigned for re-election in 2016, but was defeated by Mike Causey (R) in the general election.[1]
Biography
Goodwin was born in Hamlet, North Carolina into a family active in agriculture, banking and textiles. He is a double graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and practiced law in Richmond County for 13 years. Goodwin's public service career began in the North Carolina House of Representatives where he represented Richmond, Scotland, Montgomery and Stanly Counties for four consecutive terms.[2]
Education
- B.A., in political science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1989)
- J.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law (1992)[3]
Political career
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner (2009–2017)
Goodwin won election as the North Carolina commissioner of insurance in 2008 and assumed office in early 2009. He was re-elected in 2012. He ran for re-election in 2016, but was defeated by Mike Causey (R) in the general election.[1][4]
North Carolina Assistant Commissioner of Insurance (2005-2008)
Prior to his election as North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in 2008, he was serving as Assistant Commissioner of Insurance. He was appointed to this position in 2005.[4]
North Carolina State House of Representatives (1996 - 2004)
Goodwin was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1996-2004.[4]
Elections
2020
See also: North Carolina Insurance Commissioner election, 2020
General election
General election for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance
Incumbent Mike Causey defeated Wayne Goodwin in the general election for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mike Causey (R) | 51.8 | 2,775,488 |
 | Wayne Goodwin (D)  | 48.2 | 2,586,464 | |
| Total votes: 5,361,952 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Wayne Goodwin advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance
Incumbent Mike Causey defeated Ronald Pierce in the Republican primary for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Causey | 64.6 | 448,066 |
 | Ronald Pierce | 35.4 | 245,851 | |
| Total votes: 693,917 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2016
Goodwin filed paperwork with the North Carolina Board of Elections on December 1, 2015, declaring him a candidate for the North Carolina Insurance Commissioner 2016 election.[5] As he was the only Democrat to file for the office, Goodwin did not appear on the March 15 primary ballot and automatically advanced to the general election.
Mike Causey defeated incumbent Wayne Goodwin in the North Carolina insurance commisioner election.
| North Carolina Insurance Commisioner, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Mike Causey |
50.44% | 2,247,595 | |
| Democratic | Wayne Goodwin Incumbent | 49.56% | 2,208,241 | |
| Total Votes | 4,455,836 | |||
| Source: ABC11 | ||||
2012
Goodwin won re-election in 2012. He was unopposed in the May 8 Democratic primary. Mike Causey, James McCall and Richard Morgan sought the Republican nomination. Since no candidate won 40% of the vote, the top two vote-getters, Morgan and Causey, went head to head in a runoff on July 17th, which Causey won.[6] Goodwin defeated Causey in the general election on November 6, 2012.
Of his campaign, Goodwin stated, "What distinguishes me from my opponent? I have a proven, successful record of helping consumers. My opponent- running a 4th time for this office! - has been on insurance company executive for 20+ years and a paid lobbyist for insurance & other special interests. Don't let the fox guard the henhouse!"[7]
| North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Wayne Goodwin Incumbent |
51.9% | 2,226,344 | |
| Republican | Mike Causey | 48.1% | 2,066,601 | |
| Total Votes | 4,292,945 | |||
| Election results via NC State Board of Elections | ||||
Endorsements
- Charlotte Observer[8]
The official North Carolina State Board of Elections voting guide listed the following endorsements:[7]
- Governor Jim Hunt
- GOP Congressman Barry Goldwater, Jr.
- Durham Comm. on the Affairs of Black People
- NC Advocates for Justice
- People's Alliance
- NC State AFL-CIO
- Paul Miller, Exec. Dir., State Firemen's Assoc.
- Raleigh Professional Firefighters Assoc.
- Sheriffs Moose Butler
- Van Duncan
- James Clemmons
2008
Goodwin won election in November 2008, defeating Republican John Odom and Libertarian Mark McMains.[9]
| North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Wayne Goodwin |
51.6% | 2,106,870 | |
| Republican | John Odom | 44.6% | 1,822,452 | |
| Libertarian | Mark McMains | 3.8% | 153,517 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 0.1% | 2,358 | |
| Total Votes | 4,085,197 | |||
2004
On November 2, 2004, Cherie Berry won re-election to the office of North Carolina Commissioner of Labor. She defeated Wayne Goodwin (D) in the general election.
| North Carolina Commissioner of Labor, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Cherie Berry Incumbent |
52.1% | 1,723,004 | |
| Democratic | Wayne Goodwin | 47.9% | 1,584,488 | |
| Total Votes | 3,307,492 | |||
| Election results via North Carolina State Board of Elections. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released October 23, 2016 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Wayne Goodwin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Goodwin's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
The son of a farmer & millworker, I was the first in my family to attend college. Graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with Honors on a prestigious Morehead Scholarship, I next attended law school before returning home to take care of my family. Back home in rural Hamlet, NC, I started 2 law firms & another business. Very soon my community elected me as its youngest state legislator in modern times. I served 4 terms in the legislature.
Later I became the Assistant Insurance Commissioner and Assistant State Fire Marshal for 4 years before being elected NC Insurance Commissioner by voters statewide in 2008. Re-elected in 2012, I served a total of 8 years. During those 8 years I was a Consumers' Champion: SAVED NC families over $2.4 BILLION in rate cuts and refunds, ORDERED NC to have the lowest average auto insurance in the USA, DIRECTED $50 MILLION in refunds back to 1 million drivers, ORDERED a historic health insurance refunds of $156 Million to 215, 000 NC families, and ORDERED the largest fine in NC history against an insurance company for harm inflicted on the public. I held public hearings and public comment sessions, and helped lead the way on health insurance reforms and lower prices, all of which was stopped short after I concluded my service.
I'm running in 2020 for a 3rd term (non-consecutive) for affordable, accessible healthcare insurance; lower homeowners and auto insurance, including stopping the hidden rate increases; and lower drug prices.
- CONSUMER SAVINGS: On my watch, North Carolinians received over $206 MILLION in refunds and I saved them $2.4 BILLION. With my successor, have you received any significant refunds or seen your auto or homeowners insurance rates drop? I bet not.
- HEALTH INSURANCE: We need a state Insurance Commissioner committed to protecting health insurance coverage for our pre-existing conditions.
- LOWER DRUG PRICES: On my watch, NC was making headway on lowering prescription drug prices; the current Insurance Commissioner is AWOL on health insurance reforms.
I'm personally passionate about protecting consumers - individuals, families, small businesses - from greedy insurance companies who charge too much or provide inadequate coverage or who continually raise the deductible options so high that it's almost not worth it to have an insurance policy unless it's for catastrophic coverage. Consumers need "peace of mind".
At the same time, the job of Insurance Commissioner is a balancing act. While we want the lowest prices for insurance products we also want a competitive market of companies so consumers have choices. Accordingly, rates must be appropriate and reasonable, not unfair and not discriminatory. We don't need an Insurance Commissioner who allows rates to go up every year, especially hidden rate increases.
Further, because the NC Insurance Commissioner is also the State Fire Marshal, we need an Commissioner who fights for what matters most to our firefighters - salaries, benefits, insurance coverage for occupational cancer, sufficient resources for training, and more attention to what our volunteer firefighters need. Mere fellowship visits to fire houses by the present Insurance Commissioner does not solve problems and does not do one whit for firefighters who need a reasonable income to live and insurance coverage for firefighter occupational cancers - coverage that the current Commissioner has remained silent about. We can and must do better.
This job requires a detailed knowledge of many subjects - insurance law, administrative law, tort law, contracts, building codes and engineering, weather, geography, consumer protection, public safety, law enforcement, and math, to name a few. And even if a state Insurance Commissioner is not adept at all these subjects, then one must be able to call on and quickly understand from subject matter experts what direction is needed on any given matter.
The office requires someone who is a good communicator because much of what the Insurance Commissioner must be able to communicate about pertains to money, property, life, death, fairness, and your rights as a consumer. These are subjects that folks want to understand clearly and cogently.
I believe this office is unique because it pertains to regulating matters that touch upon every individual, family, business, or government - the availability and affordability of insurance of all types, and a competitive market that gives the consuming public choices.
"It's A Wonderful Life" by Frank Capra
"Team of Rivals", by Doris Kearns Goodwin (about Lincoln)
The Declaration of Independence
The U.S. Constitution
The Federalist Papers
"But What About the People?" by NC Governor Terry Sanford
"Truman" by David McCullough
"Profiles in Courage," by John F. Kennedy
The Gospels of the New Testament
Pragmatic idealism
Empathy
Hard work
Seeking a win-win if at all possible
Fairness, justice
Honesty, integrity, hardworking, meaningful experience, judiciousness, empathy, studiousness, ability to communicate matters at high levels and regular levels of audiences, looking out for "the least of these" among us
*Consumer Protection - making sure consumers have access to affordable insurance options, that consumers are not charged excessive rates, and are not provided inadequate insurance
- Ensuring solvency of insurance companies in the business of insurance in North Carolina
- Knowing Chapter 58 of the NC General Statutes as best as one can and following it
- Judiciousness
- Managing staff but not micro-managing the department, instead relying upon senior deputies and deputies to manage their direct reports
- Relying on subject matter experts to the extent possible
- Making decisions that protect consumers and may result in more insurance products and companies to be available for consumers
- Following the State and national Constitutions
Consumers Champion and someone who believed in the greater good that politics and public service can provide.
My very first paying job off the small family farm was working as the assistant to the junior high school janitor. People may think the job of janitor or school custodian is a messy one; if so, they haven't seen anything until they see what the assistant to the janitor must clean up! I held that job for two years. The job on the farm and the one at school taught me many lessons, and prepared me for my next paying job - as a radio announcer at the local AM radio station. By that time I was in high school. I learned to broadcast the news on the hour every hour, record business commercials and public service announcements, do interviews, and play the best of pop music at the time. Folks don't realize how much responsibility I was given as a 16-year-old to have those duties. That job actually lasted much longer than my farming and janitoring days: I held it 3 years in high school, and then off and on for the next 7 years during and after college and law school. Decades later, even after being elected to the legislature and then to statewide office, I would make a regular pilgrimage back to the radio station where I worked and would provide a news update or play music or record a public service announcement.
(too many to consider)
"Twist and Shout" (Beatles version)
Watching my late father suffer serious depression and other illnesses that led to his early death at age 56 and now caring for my wife who has Stage 4 breast cancer and who is the strongest person I know but who still has great pain, discomfort, etc. cause by that evil illness.
Consumer Protection
Keeping insurance rates as low and as fair as possible
Investigating and fighting insurance fraud
A competitive insurance market
Transparency in the ratemaking process
Being the voice and the leader - as State Fire Marshal - of the entire NC fire service, and fighting for those matters they deem vital.
etc. etc. etc.
The NC Insurance Commissioner is also the State Fire Marshal, making the Commissioner the State's Fire Chief.
Also, the Insurance Commissioner is the last word on whether a health insurance company can deny coverage for certain types of treatments.
Further, when the Commissioner orders an insurance company to reply or produce a document, technically the law says the insurance company must respond within seven (7) days - which is much, much faster than the response would take if a consumer contacted an insurance company on their own.
There are many other little-known powers or responsibilities of this office located in Chapter 58 of the NC General Statutes. Among them: regulating bailbonding and collection agencies.
Yes. Though not required by the State Constitution, the immense authority of this office and the impact on the public and private sector needs someone who is battle-tested in government and politics, and who has experiences with the levers of government that must be understood in order to be most effective for constituents. I served 4 terms (8 years) in the legislature and 2 terms (8 years) as NC Insurance Commissioner, and with another 4 years as Assistant Commissioner and 13 years representing consumers in the courts. In great contrast, and with the utmost respect, this is the first elected office my opponent has ever held.
This job requires a detailed knowledge of many subjects - insurance law, administrative law, tort law, contracts, building codes and engineering, weather, geography, consumer protection, public safety, law enforcement, and math, to name a few. And even if a state Insurance Commissioner is not adept at all these subjects, nor would they be, then one must be able to call on and quickly understand from subject matter experts what direction is needed on any given matter.
The office also requires someone who is a good communicator because much of what the Insurance Commissioner must be able to communicate about pertains to money, property, life, death, fairness, and your rights as a consumer. These are subjects that folks want to understand clearly and cogently.
The NC Insurance Commissioner must be able to learn quickly, respond appropriately, and be able to speak on any given matter as good as possible with knowledge and confidence on behalf of the State of North Carolina and its 10 million constituents.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Official campaign website
- North Carolina Department of Insurance - Commissioner Goodwin (dead link)
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions, 1996-2012
- Indy Week, "Goodwin's answers to 2012 questionnaire," October 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Insurance Journal, "Agency Owner Causey Defeats Goodwin in North Carolina Commissioner Race," November 9, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina Department of Insurance, "Commissioner Wayne Goodwin," accessed December 19, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Wayne Goodwin's Biography," accessed Sept. 30, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Wayne Goodwin, "Meet the Commissioner," accessed October 27, 2012
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Listing," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ The Daily Reflector, "GOP field for NC insurance commissioner cut to 2," May 9, 2012
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2012 General Election Voter Guide," accessed September 25, 2012
- ↑ Charlotte Observer, "Our Council of State endorsements, part 1," October 17, 2012
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "November 2008 General Election Results," accessed March 25, 2011
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by James E. Long (D) |
North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance 2009–2017 |
Succeeded by Mike Causey (R) |
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State of North Carolina Raleigh (capital) |
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