Candidate Biography (submitted by campaign):

Bev Perdue grew up in Grundy, VA a small coal-mining community. Although her parents never graduated high school, they taught her the value of education and hard work.

Prior to running for office, Bev earned a Ph.D. in Education Administration and worked as a school teacher and health care professional.

While working as a hospital administrator in her hometown of New Bern, Bev saw firsthand how the decisions made in Raleigh affected people all over the state.  That experience is what led her to run for the state legislature in 1986.

As a legislator and as Lieutenant Governor since 2001, Bev has been a tireless leader in the effort to strengthen public education, health care, and the economy.  She has a distinguished record on raising teacher salaries and improving public education, expanding health care access, and creating jobs in North Carolina.

As Senate Appropriations Chair, she led passage of the landmark CHIPs program for coverage of uninsured children.  And as Chair of the Health and Wellness Trust Fund she created a prescription drug program for seniors that the NC AARP called the best in the nation. 

As Lt. Governor, Bev spearheaded North Carolina’s successful response in keeping the federal government from closing our military bases.  She is currently leading the state’s development of defense and homeland-security industries and the state’s Green Business Fund.   

Bev lives in New Bern and Chapel Hill.  She is married to Bob Eaves of Chapel Hill and has two sons, Garrett and Emmett.  She enjoys spending time with her family and her two dogs, Dosie and Zipper. 

I will be a Governor whose top priority is building a new North Carolina for all of our families, especially our financially-squeezed middle class families. 

I am the only candidate for Governor who is committed to both universal children’s health care coverage and expanded coverage for more working parents.  My plan has been praised as containing "the most significant changes in health care access in North Carolina in, quite literally, decades" by Adam Searing, Director of the North Carolina Health Access Coalition.

My comprehensive education initiatives will directly tackle our drop-out problem, make teacher salaries competitive with other professions, address the teacher shortage, expand early-childhood programs, redesign our high schools and open up the doors of our universities to students from all family backgrounds.  I am proud that the North Carolina Association of Educators has endorsed me.

I believe that lowering health care costs and providing a well trained workforce are the best incentives for attracting new businesses, increasing job opportunities and boosting our state’s economy.  We must also raise the minimum wage and provide property tax relief for seniors.     

I also believe that green is gold.  That is why I led the effort last year to create the state’s Green Business Fund.  I know that we can create jobs while developing creative ways to protect our natural resources. 

For more information about these and many other proposals for building a new North Carolina, please visit www.bevperdue.com.