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N.C.'s Top 10: New governor and nine other high-ranking elected officials to take oath of office today
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Published: January 10, 2009
RALEIGH
Two months after an election focused on change, a new team of state leaders is taking office today.
The festive run-up to today's inauguration in downtown Raleigh has focused on Bev Perdue, who will be North Carolina's first female governor, but nine other top elected officials will also be sworn in today.
The group is a mix of fresh faces and incumbents who were re-elected. But with the state facing a major budget deficit and its highest unemployment rate in 25 years, they all face a web of new challenges.
"We intend to hit the ground running," said Walter Dalton, the incoming lieutenant governor.
Perdue and the nine other elected officials taking the oath of office today are collectively known as the Council of State. Each member of the council is elected statewide and runs a department in state government. As a group, the council meets once a month to approve some state policies and state spending.
In November, Democrats picked up a seat on the Council of State when Beth Wood defeated the incumbent state auditor, Les Merritt. Democrats now hold an 8-2 majority on the council.
In addition, for the first time in history, women hold a majority of the seats on the council.
"It sort of re-emphasizes, in a year where we have the first woman governor in our history that women continue to make huge strides in the political process," said Chris Fitzsimon, the executive director of N.C. Policy Watch, a research and advocacy group in Raleigh.
Perhaps most significant, four out of the 10 members on the incoming Council of State are new to the group and have never before held office in the executive branch. They are Dalton, Wood, incoming Treasurer Janet Cowell and incoming Insurance Commissioner Wade Goodwin.
Before being elected governor, Perdue, as lieutenant governor, served on the council for eight years.
"Change can be good, and it can be bad -- you'll have to wait and see," Dalton said. "It's been a long time since we've had this much turnover on the Council of State. We're all going to have a long learning curve, but I think it can be very healthy."
The inauguration will take place at 10:30 a.m. today and will be followed by a parade. The ceremonies are open to the public.
Other activities this week included concerts, a prayer service and an inaugural ball, with the Junior League of Raleigh serving as the host.
The inauguration itself has a budget of $250,000. A spokesman for Perdue said that the total cost is expected to be less than that.
The Council of State is important not just for what it does, but also for what it can lead to. The three most recent governors all first served in lesser positions on the council.
■ James Romoser can be reached at 919-210-6794 or at jromoser@wsjournal.com.
The inauguration
When and where: 10 a.m. today, in front of the Office of Archives & History Building, 109 E. Jones St., Raleigh. This will be the seventh time that the building has been the site of the inauguration, dating back to 1981 and the second term of Gov. Jim Hunt. The inauguration, which is open to the public, will begin with a concert followed by the actual ceremony at 10:30 a.m. About 5,000 chairs will be set up.
Who: The 10 members of the Council of State elected in November will be sworn in to office, capped by the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice Sarah Parker of the state Supreme Court, for Gov.-elect Bev Perdue. Incumbents who will be sworn in for additional four-year terms are Attorney General Roy Cooper (D); Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D); Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry (R); Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson (D); and Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler (R).
Newcomers: Four people will begin their first terms on the council: Walter Dalton (D) as lieutenant governor; Beth Wood (D), state auditor; Janet Cowell (D), state treasurer; and Wayne Goodwin (D), insurance commissioner.
Ceremony highlights: Television icon Andy Griffith, a Manteo resident, will give a special reading. William Swart, 12, of Fuquay-Varina, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Swart's father is a member of the National Guard who is training to deploy to Iraq. A military flyover and 19-gun salute for Perdue also are expected. Outgoing Gov. Mike Easley, Hunt and former Gov. Jim Holshouser are scheduled to attend.
Parade and open house: The inaugural parade will begin at 12:30 p.m. and travel up Fayetteville Street north toward the old Capitol building. The Executive Mansion at 200 N. Blount St. will be open to the public from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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