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Wayne Goodwin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wayne Goodwin
Goodwin in December 2022
Commissioner of the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles
In office
January 14, 2022 – May 6, 2025
GovernorRoy Cooper
Josh Stein
Preceded byTorre Jessup
Succeeded byPaul Tine
Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party
In office
February 11, 2017 – February 27, 2021
Preceded byPatsy Keever
Succeeded byBobbie Richardson
Insurance Commissioner of North Carolina
In office
January 10, 2009 – January 1, 2017
GovernorBev Perdue
Pat McCrory
Preceded byJames Long
Succeeded byMike Causey
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
In office
January 1, 1997 – January 1, 2005
Preceded byHugh Alfred Lee
Succeeded byMelanie Wade Goodwin (redistricted)
Constituency32nd district (1997–2003)
68th district (2003–2005)
Personal details
Born (1967-02-22) February 22, 1967 (age 58)
Hamlet, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMelanie Wade (deceased 2020)
EducationUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA, JD)

George Wayne Goodwin (born February 22, 1967) is an American politician. He was elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in the 2008 election and re-elected in 2012.[1][2] He was narrowly defeated in his bid for a third term in 2016.[3] However, he quickly rebounded and was elected on February 11, 2017, as chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party on the first ballot with 92% of the vote among four candidates.

Goodwin previously served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's sixty-eighth House district, including constituents in Richmond and Stanly counties. His prior district – the 32nd House district – also included Scotland and Montgomery Counties. Goodwin served as the commissioner of the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles from 2022 to 2025.

Political career

[edit]
Goodwin as a State Representative

State Legislator

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After serving as President of the Young Democrats of North Carolina, Goodwin served four full terms in the North Carolina state House. Goodwin campaigned as the Democratic nominee for the position of North Carolina Commissioner of Labor in the 2004 election, losing in a close race to incumbent Republican Cherie Berry.

Insurance Commissioner

[edit]

Goodwin served as the Assistant Commissioner of Insurance and Assistant State Fire Marshal for the State of North Carolina from 2005 through 2008. In 2008, Goodwin filed to run for Commissioner of Insurance after the surprise retirement of longtime Commissioner Jim Long.[4] Goodwin defeated David Smith in the Democratic primary 56%–43%[5] and went on to beat Republican John Odom and Libertarian Mark McMains with 51.57% of the vote.[6] He was sworn in on January 10, 2009.[7] Goodwin won re-election in the 2012 general contest by almost four percentage points.

NC Democratic Party Chair

[edit]

He was a candidate for re-election to his post in 2016.[8] After very narrowly losing the general election, Goodwin announced that he would run for chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party.[9] With the support of 92% of ballots cast, he was elected to lead the state party on Feb. 11, 2017.[10] Two years later, in January 2019, Goodwin won unanimous re-election to a second term as chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party.[11] After completing a customary second term, Goodwin chose to refrain from a third term soon after his wife died from cancer and he had two children to raise. His first vice chair, Bobbie Richardson, succeeded Goodwin as party chair.[12]

He unsuccessfully sought a third (non-consecutive) term as insurance commissioner in the 2020 election.

DMV Commissioner

[edit]

In 2022, Goodwin was appointed commissioner of the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.[13] As commissioner, he lifted various restrictions for LGBT speech on vanity plates. Previously, vanity plates with LGBT content were not permitted by the Division. Under the direction of Goodwin, the DMV cracked down on racist and antisemitic vanity plates that had been approved due to creative spelling used to get around DMV restrictions.[14]

Goodwin has also made several changes as commissioner to streamline DMV service. He has implemented extended walk-in hours and extended business hours at several DMV locations, as well as expanded online services. He has also announced the introduction of DMV self-service kiosks in places such as pharmacies and grocery stores, allowing DMV customers to renew their license and registration while shopping for groceries or picking up prescriptions.[15]

In March 2025, Goodwin announced he would not seek re-appointment for his office, and was succeeded by Paul Tine on May 6, 2025. During his time as commissioner, Goodwin filled over 400 DMV vacancies across the state and decreased wait times by an average of 27 minutes.[16][17] In his departure, Goodwin cited a lack of cooperation from the North Carolina General Assembly[18] in implementing some of his proposed improvements, such as opening new offices and hiring additional staff. He stated, “In addition to ongoing DMV modernization projects and online initiatives launched or expanded on my watch, NC needs a DMV workforce that more proportionally reflects the explosive population growth of our State. NC has had well over 2.4 million *new* residents over 20 years but only [netted] 3 new offices...I have shared this fact publicly time and time again while underscoring that DMV is an essential service.”[19]

Personal life

[edit]

Goodwin was a Morehead Scholar and US Senate/William Randolph Hearst Scholar. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in political science and then went on to graduate from the UNC School of Law. While at UNC, he was a member of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies.[20] He was married to Melanie Wade Goodwin, also a former state legislator and attorney, until her death at age 50 in 2020. They are the parents of two children.[21]

Electoral history

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North Carolina House of Representatives 32nd District Election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 12,104 100.00
North Carolina House of Representatives 32nd District Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin (inc.) 9,633 100.00
North Carolina House of Representatives 32nd District Election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin (inc.) 13,417 100.00
North Carolina House of Representatives 68th District Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin (inc.) 10,393 55.86
Republican George Crump, III 7,833 42.10
Libertarian David Muse 381 2.05
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cherie Berry (inc.) 1,723,004 52.09
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 1,584,488 47.91
North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Democratic primary election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 680,512 56.08
Democratic David Smith 533,027 43.92
North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 2,106,870 51.57
Republican John Odom 1,822,452 44.61
Libertarian Mark McMains 153,517 3.76
Write-ins Write-ins 2,358 0.06
North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wayne Goodwin (inc.) 2,226,344 51.86
Republican Mike Causey 2,066,601 48.14

References

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  1. ^ "North Carolina manual [serial]". [Raleigh] : North Carolina Historical Commission. Retrieved Apr 3, 2019 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ "WRAL: Goodwin wins NC insurance commissioner race". Retrieved Apr 3, 2019.
  3. ^ "North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Results: Mike Causey Wins". The New York Times. Aug 1, 2017. Retrieved Apr 3, 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  4. ^ [ Long not running for re-election | newsobserver.com projects]
  5. ^ NC Primary Election Results 2008, NC State Board of Elections
  6. ^ NC General Election Results 2008, NC State Board of Elections
  7. ^ Bonner, Lynn; Niolet, Benjamin (January 10, 2009). "Council of State also sworn in today: These four among those who will help the new governor steer the ship of state". The News & Observer.
  8. ^ "Goodwin seeks third term as N.C. insurance commissioner". Richmond County Daily Journal. Oct 8, 2015. Retrieved Apr 3, 2019.
  9. ^ "NC Democrats again seeking new party leader". WRAL.com. Dec 28, 2016. Retrieved Apr 3, 2019.
  10. ^ "NC Democratic Party elects Wayne Goodwin as chair". WRAL.com. Feb 11, 2017. Retrieved Apr 3, 2019.
  11. ^ "North Carolina Democrats Reelect Chairman Goodwin, Announce New Party Leadership". North Carolina Democratic Party. Jan 26, 2019. Retrieved Sep 2, 2020.
  12. ^ WRAL.com
  13. ^ Coastland Times
  14. ^ WRAL (2023-01-13). "More LGBTQ phrases allowed on North Carolina vanity plates". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
  15. ^ "North Carolina DMV to add self-service, estimated wait time features, limited online ID renewals". wcnc.com. February 14, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  16. ^ WRAL (2025-02-26). "Facing pressure, NC DMV commissioner says he plans to step down". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  17. ^ "NCDOT Names Paul Tine as New DMV Commissioner". NCDOT. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  18. ^ "North Carolina DMV Says Lack of Staff Is Root of Many Problems". Governing. 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  19. ^ Arthur, Keely; reporter, WRAL consumer (2025-02-26). "Wayne Goodwin's tenure: DMV wait times improve, but public dissatisfaction persists". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  20. ^ "Board of Directors". 28 November 2013.
  21. ^ Robertson, Gary D. (2 September 2020). "Ex-NC Rep. Goodwin, Who Made History With Childbirth, Dies". www.wfae.org. Retrieved Sep 2, 2020.
[edit]
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Labor Commissioner of North Carolina
2004 		Succeeded by
Mary Fant Donnan
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Insurance Commissioner of North Carolina
2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party
2017–2021 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Insurance Commissioner of North Carolina
2009–2017 		Succeeded by
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