Cherie K. Berry

An example of a typical Elevator Certificate in an elevator in North Carolina

Cherie Killian Berry is the current North Carolina Commissioner of Labor, a member of the North Carolina Council of State and head of the North Carolina Department of Labor.[1]

Berry was born in Newton, North Carolina and owned LGM Ltd., a spark plug wire manufacturing business in Catawba County, North Carolina.[2] A businesswoman, Berry served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1993 to 2000, where she chaired the welfare reform committee and co-chaired the commerce committee.[3] In November 2000, she was elected state labor commissioner, the first woman to hold the post.[1] A Republican, (the only Republican on the Council of State between 2001 and 2005), she bested Democrat Wayne Goodwin to win a second term in the 2004 statewide elections.[1] Berry narrowly defeated Mary Fant Donnan to keep her seat in the 2008 election. Berry won a fourth four-year term in November 2012, defeating former Labor Commissioner John C. Brooks by more than 280,000 votes.[4] Berry won a fifth four-year term in November 2016 , defeating former Raleigh mayor Charles Meeker by more than 476,000 votes, her largest percentage margin of victory.[5]

Berry was criticized in a newspaper report on poultry plant oversight.[6] Berry's fundraising has also been called into question by the Charlotte Observer.[7]

Popular Culture

Berry has received a small following among younger North Carolinians due to her catchy name (when mispronounced as CHAIR-ree Berry, like the fruit) and her picture inside elevators in North Carolina. Her picture and signature appear inside all elevators in North Carolina on the Certification of Operation leading to her receiving the unofficial title of "The Elevator Lady". There have been multiple comical songs written about her.

Electoral history

North Carolina House of Representatives 45th District Election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Kiser (inc.) 29,173 50.64
Republican Cherie Killian Berry (inc.) 28,436 49.36
North Carolina House of Representatives 45th District Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Kiser (inc.) 20,275 39.02
Republican Cherie Killian Berry (inc.) 20,122 38.72
Democratic Columbus Turner 11,567 22.26
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Republican Primary Election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cherie Killian Berry 92,695 38.39
Republican John Miller 74,127 30.70
Republican Mac Wetherman 49,468 20.49
Republican Carl Southard 25,135 10.41
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cherie Killian Berry 1,379,417 50.13
Democratic Doug Berger 1,372,165 49.87
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Republican Primary Election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cherie Berry (inc.) 194,723 64.57
Republican Lloyd Funderburk 106,841 35.43
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cherie Berry (inc.) 1,723,004 52.09
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 1,584,488 47.91
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cherie Berry (inc.) 2,065,095 50.61
Democratic Mary Fant Donnan 2,015,442 49.39
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cherie Berry (inc.) 2,300,500 53.26
Democratic John Brooks 2,019,266 46.74
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cherie Berry (inc.) 2,487,829 55.21
Democratic Charles Meeker 2,013,300 44.68
none Write-ins (total) 5,006 0.11

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Commissioner's Office". NCDOL. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  2. ↑ http://www.nclabor.com/commish.htm
  3. ↑ http://digital.ncdcr.gov/utils/getdownloaditem/collection/p16062coll9/id/169021/filename/178491.pdf/mapsto/pdf
  4. ↑ http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/42923/114645/Web01/en/summary.html
  5. ↑ http://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/08/2016&county_id=0&office=COS&contest=0
  6. ↑ Alexander, Ames (9 March 2008). "BERRY PLANS NO CHANGES AFTER STORIES ON POULTRY". Charlotte Observer.
  7. ↑ Alexander, Ames; Ingram, David (5 October 2008). "For donors to Berry, breaks on fines are larger". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 19 October 2011.

External links


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