Heagarty chosen for seat in House

RALEIGH -- Chris Heagarty spent seven years helping to shape the process of casting votes, and now he'll be campaigning for them as the newest member of the N.C. House of Representatives.

At a gathering Saturday morning of 30 Democratic Party leaders from the 41st House district in western Wake County, Heagarty, former director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, was elected to replace former Rep. Ty Harrell.

Harrell resigned last month to address a campaign finance investigation. When a legislator resigns, his or her party picks the successor.

Gov. Beverly Perdue is expected to officially appoint Heagarty when she returns from a trip to China and Japan in a little over a week.

Heagarty, 39, was selected from six candidates. The other five vowed to support him in next fall's election.

"To my knowledge, there's not any chance of a primary [challenge] from these folks," said Jack Nichols, chairman of the Wake Democratic Party.

Born in Cincinnati, Heagarty has spent nearly his entire life in Raleigh and the 41st district, where he lives with his wife, Tivey; 2-year-old son, Stephen, and 10-month-old daughter, Sidney.

A graduate of Enloe High School and N.C. State University, he is on track to receive his law degree from N.C. Central University in the spring.

From 2000 to 2007, Heagarty was executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, a nonpartisan group that aims to improve the quality and responsiveness of election systems.

"It was about getting more people involved, casting more informed votes," Heagarty said Saturday.

The group's most visible achievement was legislation making North Carolina's judicial races nonpartisan.

Heagarty said he will focus on the same thing as other elected officials. "The number one priority on everyone's mind ... is getting people working again," he said.

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