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