Elaine Marshall
Encyclopedia
Elaine F. Marshall is the current North Carolina Secretary of State
; she is the first woman to be elected to that office and the first woman elected to statewide executive office in North Carolina. Marshall was the Democratic Party's nominee for the United States Senate seat
currently held by Richard Burr
. She lost the election.
in 1945. Her father was a farmer who, for many years, served as a volunteer fire fighter and community leader, and her mother was the organist in the family’s small rural church for more than 60 years. She attended public schools as a child and became the first person in her family to graduate college. She studied textiles at the University of Maryland
from 1964 to 1968, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Textiles and Clothing. During her undergraduate years, she spent her summers working as a camping director for the Maryland 4-H
Foundation, an organization she has continued to support.
After graduation, Marshall taught in the public schools of Lenoir County, North Carolina
and then ran a book and gift store. She later returned to the field of education as an instructor at Lenoir Community College
and Johnston Technical Community College
.
Marshall returned to school to study law at the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
at Campbell University
and earned her Juris Doctor
(J.D.) degree in 1981, where she was accepted into the Who's Who Among American Universities and Colleges. She has been admitted to practice before all North Carolina courts, the U.S. District courts in the Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of the NC State Bar, the NC Bar Association, the NC Association of Women Attorneys, and the Delta Theta Phi
legal fraternity. She became a partner in a Lillington, North Carolina
law firm in 1985.
politics in North Carolina for over 30 years. From the early 1970s, she was active in the Young Democrats organization and eventually became National Secretary of the Young Democrats of America. In Harnett County, where she practiced law, Marshall served as President of Democratic Women and, in 1991, served as chair of the Harnett County
Democratic Party.
representing the 15th Senate District.
against Republican challenger and former stock car racer Richard Petty
. She won the election
by a margin of 53% to 45% becoming the first woman elected to a statewide executive office in North Carolina history. Marshall has won re-election three times and in 2008 received the second highest vote total of any candidate in the state. Elaine Marshall is only the third elected Secretary of State of North Carolina since 1936, as office-holders have commonly been re-elected many times. Marshall has been credited with bringing the office into the technological age by introducing e-commerce and providing online registration for lobbyists and businesses. Marshall's work has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Notary Association
and Campbell University
. In 2007, Marshall served as president of the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council, "an organization of public and private sector leaders aimed at identifying best technology practices that make government agencies more efficient and modernize their services".
in the race to replace retiring Sen. Jesse Helms
. However, she was defeated in the Democratic primary by Erskine Bowles
, who served as White House Chief of Staff
under President Bill Clinton
.
. She faced Cal Cunningham
, Ken Lewis, and other lesser-known candidates in the May 2010 primary, and won the endorsement of the Charlotte Observer. After failing to garner above 40% of the vote in the May 4 primary election, Marshall had to face Cunningham in a runoff
in June. On June 22, 2010, Marshall defeated Cunningham (with approximately 60 percent of the vote) to secure the Democratic nomination. For the general election, she was again endorsed by the Charlotte Observer, the state's largest newspaper.
Despite endorsement by the Charlotte Observer, on election day, Marshall came up short to incumbent Richard Burr, who had 55% of the votes.
North Carolina Secretary of State
The North Carolina Secretary of State is an elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina, heading the Department of the Secretary of State, which oversees many of the economic and business-related operations of the state government...
; she is the first woman to be elected to that office and the first woman elected to statewide executive office in North Carolina. Marshall was the Democratic Party's nominee for the United States Senate seat
United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 2, 2010. The filing deadline for the primaries was February 26; the primaries were held on May 4, with a Democratic primary runoff held on June 22. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Richard Burr won re-election to a...
currently held by Richard Burr
Richard Burr
Richard Mauze Burr is the senior United States Senator from North Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Burr represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives....
. She lost the election.
Early life, education and career
Marshall was born in Lineboro, MarylandLineboro, Maryland
Lineboro is an unincorporated community located in northeastern Carroll County, Maryland, in the United States. The community was named for its location on the Mason-Dixon Line.-History:...
in 1945. Her father was a farmer who, for many years, served as a volunteer fire fighter and community leader, and her mother was the organist in the family’s small rural church for more than 60 years. She attended public schools as a child and became the first person in her family to graduate college. She studied textiles at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
from 1964 to 1968, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Textiles and Clothing. During her undergraduate years, she spent her summers working as a camping director for the Maryland 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
Foundation, an organization she has continued to support.
After graduation, Marshall taught in the public schools of Lenoir County, North Carolina
Lenoir County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of 2005, there were 57,961 people, 23,862 households, and 16,178 families residing in the county. The population density was 149.2 people per square mile . There were 27,940 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
and then ran a book and gift store. She later returned to the field of education as an instructor at Lenoir Community College
Lenoir Community College
Lenoir Community College is a community college in Lenoir County, North Carolina offering degree programs and continuing education.LCC's main campus is located in the city of Kinston in Lenoir County...
and Johnston Technical Community College
Johnston Community College
Johnston Community College is a public, two-year post-secondary college located at 245 College Road, Smithfield, North Carolina. JCC is located thirty miles east of Raleigh, near the junction of I-95 and US 70...
.
Marshall returned to school to study law at the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law is a private law school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1976, the law school is one of six graduate programs offered by Campbell University...
at Campbell University
Campbell University
Campbell University is a coeducational, church-related university in rural North Carolina, USA. Its main campus is located in the community of Buies Creek; its law school moved from Buies Creek to a new campus in the state capital of Raleigh in 2009. Campbell has an approximately equal number of...
and earned her Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.) degree in 1981, where she was accepted into the Who's Who Among American Universities and Colleges. She has been admitted to practice before all North Carolina courts, the U.S. District courts in the Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of the NC State Bar, the NC Bar Association, the NC Association of Women Attorneys, and the Delta Theta Phi
Delta Theta Phi
Delta Theta Phi is a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. The smallest of the three internationally recognized law fraternities , Delta Theta Phi is the only one of the three major law fraternities to charter chapters in the United States at...
legal fraternity. She became a partner in a Lillington, North Carolina
Lillington, North Carolina
Lillington is a town in Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,915 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Harnett County.-Geography:Lillington is located at ....
law firm in 1985.
Political career
Marshall has been active in DemocraticNorth Carolina Democratic Party
The North Carolina Democratic Party is the North Carolina affiliate of the national Democratic Party in the United States. It is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. They are located in the historic Goodwin house which is located in the downtown area of Raleigh at 220 Hillsborough Street...
politics in North Carolina for over 30 years. From the early 1970s, she was active in the Young Democrats organization and eventually became National Secretary of the Young Democrats of America. In Harnett County, where she practiced law, Marshall served as President of Democratic Women and, in 1991, served as chair of the Harnett County
Harnett County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 91,025 people, 33,800 households, and 24,099 families residing in the county. The population density was 153 people per square mile . There were 38,605 housing units at an average density of 65 per square mile...
Democratic Party.
State Senator
Marshall was first elected to public office in 1992 as a member of the North Carolina SenateNorth Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...
representing the 15th Senate District.
Secretary of State
In 1996, she ran for the post of North Carolina Secretary of StateNorth Carolina Secretary of State
The North Carolina Secretary of State is an elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina, heading the Department of the Secretary of State, which oversees many of the economic and business-related operations of the state government...
against Republican challenger and former stock car racer Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
. She won the election
North Carolina Council of State elections, 1996
The North Carolina Council of State election of 1996 was held on 5 November 1996, to elect the Council of State. On the same day, North Carolina held elections for Governor and for Lieutenant Governor, who also formally sit in the Council of State....
by a margin of 53% to 45% becoming the first woman elected to a statewide executive office in North Carolina history. Marshall has won re-election three times and in 2008 received the second highest vote total of any candidate in the state. Elaine Marshall is only the third elected Secretary of State of North Carolina since 1936, as office-holders have commonly been re-elected many times. Marshall has been credited with bringing the office into the technological age by introducing e-commerce and providing online registration for lobbyists and businesses. Marshall's work has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Notary Association
National Notary Association
The National Notary Association is an American nonprofit organization which provides education to and about notaries public. It was established in 1957 by Raymond C. Rothman....
and Campbell University
Campbell University
Campbell University is a coeducational, church-related university in rural North Carolina, USA. Its main campus is located in the community of Buies Creek; its law school moved from Buies Creek to a new campus in the state capital of Raleigh in 2009. Campbell has an approximately equal number of...
. In 2007, Marshall served as president of the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council, "an organization of public and private sector leaders aimed at identifying best technology practices that make government agencies more efficient and modernize their services".
2002 U.S. Senate campaign
In 2002, Marshall ran for United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in the race to replace retiring Sen. Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...
. However, she was defeated in the Democratic primary by Erskine Bowles
Erskine Bowles
Erskine Boyce Bowles is an American businessman and political figure from North Carolina. He served from 2005 to 2010 as the President of the University of North Carolina system...
, who served as White House Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
under President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
2010 U.S. Senate campaign
In 2009, Marshall decided to enter the 2010 Senate race against incumbent Republican Richard BurrRichard Burr
Richard Mauze Burr is the senior United States Senator from North Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Burr represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives....
. She faced Cal Cunningham
Cal Cunningham
James Calvin "Cal" Cunningham III is an attorney, captain in the United States Army Reserve, and a former member of the North Carolina Senate...
, Ken Lewis, and other lesser-known candidates in the May 2010 primary, and won the endorsement of the Charlotte Observer. After failing to garner above 40% of the vote in the May 4 primary election, Marshall had to face Cunningham in a runoff
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
in June. On June 22, 2010, Marshall defeated Cunningham (with approximately 60 percent of the vote) to secure the Democratic nomination. For the general election, she was again endorsed by the Charlotte Observer, the state's largest newspaper.
Despite endorsement by the Charlotte Observer, on election day, Marshall came up short to incumbent Richard Burr, who had 55% of the votes.
External links
- Elaine Marshall for U.S. Senate official campaign website
- Office of the North Carolina Secretary of State Biography
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org (U.S. Senate)
- Column archives on The Huffington PostThe Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...