Eleanor Kinnaird
Encyclopedia
Eleanor G. 'Ellie' Kinnaird is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly
representing the state's 23rd Senate district since 1997. Her district includes constituents in Orange
and Person
counties. Kinnaird serves as Chair of the Appropriations Committee on Justice and Public Safety, as Chair of the Mental Health and Youth Services committee and as Vice-Chair of the Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources committee. In addition to these leadership positions and her other standing committee assignments on Appropriations/Base Budget, Finance, Health Care and Judiciary I (Civil), she is also a member of the NC Energy Policy Council and the Environmental Review Commission.
Senator Kinnaird is an advocate for electoral reform
and lobby reform. For example, in 2005 she sponsored a bill to require that voting machine source code and election results in North Carolina can be audited; the bill passed the Senate 48-0 and was signed into law in August 2005.
Senator Kinnaird is also an advocate for environmental protection. She received a 100% rating
from the Conservation Council of North Carolina.
A vocal opponent of the death penalty
, in 2003 Senator Kinnaird sponsored a bill to initiate a moratorium on the death penalty in North Carolina; the bill passed the Senate 28-22, making the North Carolina Senate the first legislative body in the U.S. South to support a halt to executions.
Kinnaird was mayor of Carrboro, North Carolina
from 1987 to 1996; during that time, she also earned a law degree from North Carolina Central University
(1992) and entered private practice. In 1996, she ran for and was elected to the North Carolina Senate.
As of October 2007 only three men (Moses Carey, John Herrera, and Mike Nelson) had announced their intentions to run for the Senate seat possibly being vacated by Kinnaird. Kinnaird announced she would seek re-election in 2008. Both Herrera and Nelson dropped out of the race after Kinnaird's announcement. Carey, however, stayed in and lost to Kinnaird by 64% to 36%.
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
representing the state's 23rd Senate district since 1997. Her district includes constituents in Orange
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
and Person
Person County, North Carolina
Person County is a county located in the Piedmont region in north-central North Carolina in the United States. It is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Area. The population was 39,464 at the 2010 census.The county seat is Roxboro...
counties. Kinnaird serves as Chair of the Appropriations Committee on Justice and Public Safety, as Chair of the Mental Health and Youth Services committee and as Vice-Chair of the Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources committee. In addition to these leadership positions and her other standing committee assignments on Appropriations/Base Budget, Finance, Health Care and Judiciary I (Civil), she is also a member of the NC Energy Policy Council and the Environmental Review Commission.
Senator Kinnaird is an advocate for electoral reform
Electoral reform
Electoral reform is change in electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of:...
and lobby reform. For example, in 2005 she sponsored a bill to require that voting machine source code and election results in North Carolina can be audited; the bill passed the Senate 48-0 and was signed into law in August 2005.
Senator Kinnaird is also an advocate for environmental protection. She received a 100% rating
from the Conservation Council of North Carolina.
A vocal opponent of the death penalty
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, in 2003 Senator Kinnaird sponsored a bill to initiate a moratorium on the death penalty in North Carolina; the bill passed the Senate 28-22, making the North Carolina Senate the first legislative body in the U.S. South to support a halt to executions.
Kinnaird was mayor of Carrboro, North Carolina
Carrboro, North Carolina
Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 19,582 at the 2010 census. The town, which is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan statistical area, was named after North Carolina industrialist Julian Shakespeare Carr.Located near Chapel Hill and...
from 1987 to 1996; during that time, she also earned a law degree from North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
(1992) and entered private practice. In 1996, she ran for and was elected to the North Carolina Senate.
2008 election
Kinnaird has served six terms in the Senate. In 2007, however, Kinnaird announced that she was contemplating whether or not to run in the next election, noting that she would like a woman to replace her in the Senate. She has said that due to recent retirements and a death of female Senators, the Senate could be left with only three women if she retires, while there were seven women serving as Senators when she first took office.As of October 2007 only three men (Moses Carey, John Herrera, and Mike Nelson) had announced their intentions to run for the Senate seat possibly being vacated by Kinnaird. Kinnaird announced she would seek re-election in 2008. Both Herrera and Nelson dropped out of the race after Kinnaird's announcement. Carey, however, stayed in and lost to Kinnaird by 64% to 36%.
External links
- North Carolina General Assembly - Senator Eleanor Kinnaird official NC Senate website
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Eleanor G. 'Ellie' Kinnaird (NC) profile
- Inventory of the Ellie Kinnaird Papers
- Follow the Money - Ellie Kinnaird