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NC labor commish says ‘a dog and a metal detector’ could match her potential ‘Elevator Kings’

N.C. Labor Commissioner of Labor, Cherie Berry, reacts as she speaks with employees at the Bridgestone tire plant in Wilson, N.C. Thursday, July 30, 2015.
N.C. Labor Commissioner of Labor, Cherie Berry, reacts as she speaks with employees at the Bridgestone tire plant in Wilson, N.C. Thursday, July 30, 2015. cliddy@newsobserver.com

When Secretary of State Elaine Marshall got married on July 22, Commissioner of Labor Cherie Berry became the only unmarried member of the North Carolina Council of State.

After Berry polled the council to confirm that distinction during a meeting Tuesday morning, she also offered details on an unproductive run she had in the internet dating realm of match.com.

“All they wanted to do was cuddle and walk on the beach,” Berry said of her potential suitors, as reported by WRAL. “If that’s all I wanted to do, I’d get a dog and a metal detector.”

Labor Department spokesman Jason Tyson said Wednesday that the roundtable reports at council gatherings sometimes include such witty banter and casual conversation.

“It seemed like a genuine comment,” Tyson said. “She can say things like that and draw a response.”

Berry has been known to show a good sense of humor.

She embraced her moniker, the “Elevator Queen,” in 2012, when she appeared in a campaign ad speaking from her photograph — which is affixed to safety certification notices in elevators across the state.

This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 2:43 PM with the headline "NC labor commish says ‘a dog and a metal detector’ could match her potential ‘Elevator Kings’."

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