Eleanor Kinnaird

Infobox_State Senator


imagesize = 150px
name = Eleanor Kinnaird
caption =
state_senate=North Carolina
state=North Carolina
district = 23rd
term_start = 1997
term_end = present
preceded =
succeeded = Incumbent
constituency =
majority =
party = Democrat
date of birth = birth date and age|1931|11|14
place of birth = Rochester, Minnesota
date of death =
place of death =
spouse = divorced
alma_mater = Carleton College, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Central University,
profession = educator, musician, librarian, attorney
residence = Carrboro, North Carolina
religion = Episcopalian
website =

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. [http://www.legislature.state.nc.us/gascripts/members/reports/committeeAssignments.pl?nUserid=8&Chamber=S NC General Assembly, Standing Committee Assignments 2007-2008] ] 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 [http://www.energync.net/epc/members.html NC Energy Policy Council Membership] ] and the Environmental Review Commission. [http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/Committees/Committees.asp?sAction=ViewCommittee&sActionDetails=Non-Standing_140 NC General Assembly, Environmental Review Commission 2007-2008] ]

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; [http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2005&BillID=S223 NC General Assembly, S.223 Public Confidence in Elections] ] 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 [http://www.serve.com/ccnc/advocacy/scorecard_2007.pdf Conservation Council of North Carolina, 2007 Legislative Scorecard] ] from the Conservation Council of North Carolina. [http://www.conservationcouncilnc.org/ 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.

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. cite news
title = Three are in, but is Kinnaird really out?
publisher = "The Carrboro Citizen"
date = 2007-09-13
url = http://www.carrborocitizen.com/main/2007/09/13/three-are-in-but-is-kinnaird-really-out/
accessdate = 2007-09-13 ]

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%.

References

External links

* [http://www.legislature.state.nc.us/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=Senate&nUserID=8 North Carolina General Assembly - Senator Eleanor Kinnaird] official NC Senate website
* [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=10209 Project Vote Smart - Senator Eleanor E. 'Ellie' Kinnaird (NC)] profile
*"Follow the Money" - Ellie Kinnaird
** [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=99457 2008] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=79588 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=67965 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=8363 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=40618 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=60009 1998] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=40335 1996] campaign contributions