Mike Easley

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Mike Easley
73rd Governor of North Carolina
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 6, 2001
Lieutenant	Beverly Perdue
Preceded by	Jim Hunt
Born	March 23, 1950 (1950-03-23) (age 58) Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Easley
Residence	Charlotte, North Carolina
Alma mater	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina Central University
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Roman Catholic

Michael Francis (Mike) Easley (born March 23, 1950) is the governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina. He is a Democrat and North Carolina's second Catholic governor. Thomas Burke was the first,^[1][2] though Easley is the first elected by popular vote.

Easley was raised a Roman Catholic in otherwise overwhelmingly Protestant Nash County, North Carolina. His father, Alexander Easley,^[3] owned one of the two big tobacco warehouses in the area. Easley earned a degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972. He then attended the North Carolina Central University School of Law, earning his J.D. degree in 1976. His wife, Mary Easley, is a professor of law at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, and worked for ten years as a prosecutor.

Easley was elected District Attorney, one of the youngest ever in the state, in 1982.^[4]

As Democrat, Easley ran unsuccessfully in that party's 1990 primary for the U.S. Senate; he lost to former Charlotte mayor Harvey Gantt, who himself lost to incumbent Jesse Helms. Easley was elected North Carolina attorney general in 1992, serving during the administration of Governor Jim Hunt.

In 2000, Easley ran to succeed the term-limited Hunt as governor of North Carolina. He defeated incumbent Lt. Governor Dennis A. Wicker in the Democratic party primary, and then successfully challenged former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot (R) in the general election. Easley was reelected in 2004, running against New Hanover County's state senator, Patrick Ballantine.

[edit] Governorship

The early portions of Easley's term as Governor were marked by an emphasis on education reform. One of Easley's major programs was More at Four, a pre-kindergarten for at-risk children.

His tenure has faced budget shortfalls, tough economic times, and natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods. Easley has gotten mixed reviews on his handling of fiscal problems in the state. His supporters claim many of the budget shortfall situations were created before he even took office, during the Hunt administration, while his detractors have criticized his support of raising sales taxes multiple times to cover the cost of new state programs.

During his administration, Easley has not been afraid to confront the state legislature. Easley is the first North Carolina governor to use the power of veto, which voters gave the governor's office in 1996. First, in November 2002, Easley vetoed legislation related to unqualified appointments to various boards and commissions. In June 2003, he vetoed a bill that stripped the State Board of Education of its authority to set teacher standards. In August 2003, he vetoed HB 917 which raised fees charged by finance companies. In July 2004, he vetoed HB 429 which would have required local governments to make cash payments to billboard owners of up to five times the annual revenue generated by the billboard upon its removal. In March 2005, he vetoed SB 130 which would have conveyed state property. In Sept. 2005, he vetoed HB 706 which would have affected teacher standards. In August 2007 he vetoed HB 1761, a controversial financial incentives bill which would have awarded up to forty million dollars to companies within the state. Easley has used his veto power a total of nine times as of 2008. ^[5] His ninth veto was the first to be overriden by the legislature in North Carolina history. ^[6]

Easley supported a controversial state-wide lottery, which was ultimately approved on August 31, 2005. He has stated that proceeds from the lottery will be used for much-needed educational programs.

Easley ran for a second term as governor in 2004. He easily defeated Rickey Kipfer, his only opponent in the Democratic primary, and faced Republican former state senator Patrick Ballantine and Libertarian Barbara Howe in November 2004. Though the state voted for Republicans George W. Bush for president and Richard Burr as United States Senator, Easley won his second term as governor and Democrats reestablished control over both chambers of the state legislature (the House had been split equally between the two major parties since 2003).

Governor Easley has presided over 27 executions, including the 1000th after the death penalty was reintroduced in the United States in 1976. He, however, granted commutation to two death row inmates^[7]. The North Carolina Governor has the sole right to commute death sentences imposed by a state court.

Easley was considered to be a possible candidate for U.S. Senate, to run against Sen. Elizabeth Dole in 2008 or against Sen. Richard Burr in 2010, but he has strongly denied interest in those races. The Raleigh News & Observer speculated in October 2006 that Easley was going to act like a presidential contender in order to position himself for the vice presidential nomination or a Cabinet post.^[8]

As Governor, Easley is a member of the National Governors Association, the Southern Governors' Association, and the Democratic Governors Association.

[edit] Political positions

Easley is somewhat more conservative than the Democratic leadership on some issues. For example, he supports some restrictions on abortions, advocates welfare reform, is against gun control, and is receptive to free trade issues. However, he is closer to the Democratic base on other issues. He supports the enactment of the Equal Rights Amendment, upholding Social Security, increasing public healthcare funding for the poor and children, and providing services to illegal immigrants[2].

During the 2004 Democratic primaries, he supported North Carolina Senator John Edwards.

Easley endorsed the presidential candidacy of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on April 28, 2008. After Senator Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination, Easley endorsed him against Republican nominee John McCain. ^[9]

[edit] Electoral history

[edit] Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (May 2008)

• Mike Easley is an avid fan of the FOX television series King of the Hill ^[10].
• Mike Easley is also a huge fan of NASCAR, despite personally being involved in a crash at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Concord, North Carolina in 2003. He was behind the wheel of Jimmie Johnson's #48 Lowe's Chevrolet Monte Carlo, when it hit a retaining wall going 120 mph. He was not seriously hurt, since he was wearing a head-and-neck restraint at the time ^[11][12].

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Mike Easley

• Office of the Governor, State of North Carolina official state site
• Follow the Money - Mike Easley campaign contributions for the 2004 North Carolina Governor race
• National Governors Association - North Carolina Governor Michael F. Easley biography
• On the Issues - Mike Easley issue positions and quotes
• Project Vote Smart - Governor Mike F. Easley (NC) profile
• Mike Easley, Governor official campaign site
• North Carolina Democratic Party

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