I spoke to a crowd of supporters this evening in Alleghany County at an event hosted by local Democrats. This was an important opportunity for me to hear from folks in the western part of our state. Too often, I think, public officials focus on the areas of our great state with larger population concentrations. But, the folks in smaller counties like Alleghany are just as important, and I want to know what is on their mind as I enter this campaign season. 

At this gathering, I had the chance to talk about the upcoming campaign season as well as my leadership in the Secretary of State’s office since 1996. Alleghany County is a great example of a community directly affected by the changing economy in our country and our state. Young people are forced to leave the county to find work and the continued rise in gas prices and groceries is felt by almost every family in the community. That is why it is going to be so important for us to unite behind our candidates this year and ensure that Democrats are elected to offices where there are new opportunities and hold on to the offices we already hold.

My thanks go out to the fine folks in Alleghany County who came out on this January night to visit with me. For more detail on this meeting, click here for a link to a story in The Alleghany News. 

Best Regards from the Trail…

Elaine

It was great fun to be the moderator for the Cabarrus County Candidate event the morning of Saturday January 12th at Troutman’s Restaurant in Concord. Grace Liem and the Democratic Women of Cabarrus County were quite pleased with the large number of candidates and the audience excitement. The large crowd required the Democratic Women to set up additional tables, and they even ran out of coffee cups. In the world of political events – that’s a success! I was especially pleased to see so many young Democrats in attendance. The energy and excitement for the 2008 elections are alive and well in Cabarrus County!

Best Regards from the Trail…

Elaine

One of the most exciting projects in the Department of the Secretary of State right now is North Carolina’s leading initiative to bring e-Recording statewide. North Carolina is a true leader in this initiative as we work to bring convenience through technology to every corner of our state. Other states around the country are looking to us and learning from our experiences as we launch this important project.

Today, Monday, February 4th, was a special day for me as I assisted Yancey County Register of Deeds Willoree Jobe in the county’s kick-off for the e-Recording project. As Secretary of State, I feel it is very important to have one of our western counties participate early on in this cutting-edge, efficient way to cut red tape in government and to serve citizens more effectively. 

Personally, the launch of this type of technology in a small, mountain county truly begins to level the economic playing field for citizens outside of urban areas. Note: Yancey County is home to Mt. Mitchell, the highest elevation in the eastern United States.

Best Regards...

Elaine

Almost every year, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Winter Meeting occurs in Washington, DC in February. These meetings provide me with a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with colleagues and interact with federal representatives on a variety of topics important to our work in North Carolina.

This year’s meeting was particularly productive. It has been my honor to serve as the NASS Representative to the Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council (eC³) and as eC³ President for 2007. The value of eC³’s white paper on redacting sensitive private information was well received by fellow Secretaries of State and others working in the public records arena. The Business Entity Task Force co-chair also allowed me to update fellow Secretaries on vital federal issues.

An exciting bonus to this meeting in Washington was the opportunity for the International Committee of NASS to visit the Blair House. The Blair House serves as the official guesthouse of the President of the United States and is located directly across the street from the White House. Throughout its history, Blair House has played host to foreign heads of state visiting the White House on official business. A sense of history fills each room- especially the Lincoln Room where President Lincoln offered command of the United States Army to Robert E. Lee. Not only did Lee decline the offer, but he also resigned his commission shortly thereafter.  Lee’s letter of resignation is framed and on display in the room. I could truly go room by room and relate to you the many historic moments that have taken place in this building and the fascinating stories I learned on the tour. The opportunity to visit this building is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I shall never forget.

Best Regards…

Elaine

 

Visiting Blair House
Pictured left to right are:
The Honorable Jennifer Brunner of Ohio,  The Honorable John Gale of Nebraska, The Honorable Sam Reid of Washington, The Honorable Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez of New York, The Honorable Betty Ireland of West Virginia, The Honorable Elaine Marshall of North Carolina and The Honorable Ray Martinez, Deputy Chief of Protocol of the United States Department of State.

On Friday, February 15th, I filed for re-election for my fourth term as Secretary of State for the great State of North Carolina. This was an exciting moment as it marks the beginning of another campaign in my career of public service.

Each time I have filed for office, I have been surrounded by family, friends and colleagues, and last Friday was no different. With a small group of supporters, including my husband Bill Holdford, longtime friends and supporters, Wick Haynes and Benson Kirkman, and colleagues, I filed the appropriate papers to place my name on the ballot for the May 2008 primary. Particularly, notable today was Wick Haynes who has been present each time I have filed for statewide office – including in January 2000 in 20+ inches of snow! Thank you for your continued support, Wick!

As I think back to my first election to public office in 1993, I marvel at how significantly political campaigns have changed in our culture in such a short period of time. The evolution of the Internet has opened a new universe of opportunities for candidates to reach potential supporters. The development of this on-line journal is born largely out of the evolution of the web and provides me with a seemingly instantaneous opportunity to communicate with you. In addition, you’ll find information about me and my campaign on Facebook and MySpace. As we all sit back and watch an exciting race for the White House which has drawn the attention of a new generation of voters, I hope young people will also look beyond the national race and consider the impact of state races in their daily lives.

In the same way technology will be incorporated into this campaign, I have worked to incorporate technology into many aspects of the business of the Department of the Secretary of State. Throughout our Department, citizens will find increased technology making databases and state records available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – and FREE of charge to the public. In future journal entries, I’ll talk in more detail about some of the specific programs utilizing technology to better serve the citizens of our great state.

I finished this great day of campaign activity by serving as the keynote speaker for the Wake County Democratic Party’s Annual Valentine’s Fundraiser. I was truly honored to be asked to speak to this large gathering of local Democrats at the North Carolina Association of Educators headquarters in Raleigh. This was a truly heartwarming event (it was Valentine’s Day, after all…) with over 500 people in attendance. You could feel the energy and excitement in the crowd!

Best Regards from the Trail….

Elaine

Benson Kirkman is on the far left and Wick Haynes is the man in the hat.

At the Valentine's Day Fundraiser

The Gaston County Democratic Party hosted an awesome Chairman’s 2008 Gala tonight. Event Chair Lewis Tager and County Co-Chair Bill Toole did a fantastic job planning the event. Event hosts N.C. Senator David Hoyle and Sheriff Alan Cloninger made the evening lively and interesting. The event was a revival of this fundraising activity with a twist. I’ll bet Gaston was the first to have a steel drum band entertain at a county party event. Kudos to the Belmont Steel Drum Band and Love’s Chapel Presbyterian Church of Belmont, the band’s sponsor, for such a fun event.

Best Regards from the Trail…

Elaine

A huge crowd attended a Democratic fundraiser at the home of Dr. Hank and Diane Parfitt in Cumberland County tonight. It was a full house with local and statewide candidates attending to speak to the group and ask for their support in the upcoming elections. I was honored to be the main speaker for the event and to be introduced by Representative Rick Glazier. 

The hosts, along with Senator Tony Rand and his wife, Karen, did a fantastic job in planning this event, and I thank them for their continued support.

Best Regards from the Trail…

Elaine

The Host Committee

It was an honor to be invited by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper to speak at the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) http://www.naag.org/ at their spring meeting in Washington D.C.  The members of NAAG wanted to learn more about our successes in building a model Anti-Counterfeit Trademark Enforcement Task Force in North Carolina.  I spoke of how my Department has led the way in revising Trademark laws in North Carolina and in finding ways to put more boots on the streets to enforce the laws and protect businesses and consumers in our state.  This is the same initiative that was recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce last October. 

Best Regards...

Elaine

This evening, Bill and I attended the 23rd Annual Toast to the Triangle to benefit the Tammy Lynn Memorial Foundation.  This is a fabulous event where close to 50 area chefs showcase the vast culinary talents in the Raleigh community.  The event was even more exciting due to the presence of Honorary Chair Kristi Yamaguchi, who was accompanied by her husband, Carolina Hurricanes player Bret Hedican.  It was a thrill to meet Kristi, and I was happy to have a chance to wish her well in her upcoming competition on Dancing With the Stars – I confess I am a big fan of the show.

Most importantly, this event raises funds to support the programs and services provided by the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities (www.tammylynncenter.org) in Raleigh.    Last December, the Tammy Lynn Center hosted an event to present the Charitable Solicitation Licensing Annual Report published by my office.  That same day, I had the opportunity to tour the Center and see first-hand the vital services they provide to disabled children and adults in our community.  I applaud the Center’s President and CEO Mary Freeman and her staff for the incredible work they are doing at the Tammy Lynn Center.

Best Regards from the Trail…

Elaine

The Democratic Women of Lee County held a “Meet the Candidates” Reception and Forum at the beautifully restored Wilrik Hotel http://www.downtownsanford.com/historic_tour.htm in Sanford on March 11th.   It was great to reconnect with so many old friends (and to make some new friends, too!) as Lee County was in my old N.C. Senate District.  Lots of candidates came out for this great event! 

Best Regards from the Trail…

Elaine

Mary Bess Mann, Parliamentarian for the group, is one of many hard-working Lee County Democratic Women.

April Fool’s Day – what a day!  I didn’t bite on a prank played on me – well, maybe a little. 

Today, I had the opportunity to talk briefly with Thomas Friedman, author of The World Is Flat and Dr. Moises Naim, Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy Magazine.  On this evening, Chief Deputy Secretary of State Rodney Maddox and I traveled to Washington, DC as special guests of National Geographic Magazine and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for the preview screening of the documentary film     Illicit:  The Dark Trade.  Dr. Naim has conducted extensive research and written about counterfeiting and piracy in the global marketplace.  This documentary will be shown nationally on public broadcasting networks this spring.  The film clearly links terrorists, the bad operators, enslaved individuals, drug lords and business opportunists into a supply chain in search of unsuspecting and uneducated (to the evils of counterfeiting, at least) customers.
This film clearly illustrates the harm to businesses and workers on the economic side and to our own personal health and safety through contaminated, poisonous and otherwise unsafe products.

I was honored to be invited as the only state regulator in America who “gets it” and is leading a highly effective task force initiative against counterfeiting and piracy.

For more information on the film, visit http://www.pbs.org/illicit/.

Best Regards...

Elaine

It may have been dreary outside, but it was anything but dreary inside the Cary home of Sue and Ervin Portman as they hosted a fundraiser for NC House candidate Al Swanstrom.  I enjoyed learning more about Al and meeting many of his enthusiastic supporters.  Al impressed everyone with his thoughtful remarks about the issues facing our state.  His positive attitude came through like a laser beam.

All of the Wake County Democratic House members came out in support of Al, and they were also joined by House Speaker Joe Hackney and many members of the Cary Town Council. 
I was delighted to address the group and was pleased to have the opportunity to meet so many Cary Democrats.  I can feel the growing strength of the Democratic party in Cary.

Best Regards from the Trail...

Elaine 

Snap shot with Al Swanstrom

Today was a fantastic day for me!  I volunteered to be an attorney/counselor with the N.C. Bar Association for the 4All Public Service Day.  Many North Carolinians have little or no access to the legal system.  This service project allowed citizens to call in and ask questions regarding legal issues they may be facing.  It was very satisfying for me to donate my time and pull a 3-hour shift to assist fellow North Carolinians.  This experience was a rewarding opportunity to dispel myths and provide clarity of the law to those who needed a little extra help.  The sense of relief and gratitude I received from those I spoke with proved to me what an important service this is for our communities.

Best Regards,

Elaine