Ty Harrell
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from the 41st district
In office
January 1, 2007  September 20, 2009
Preceded byRussell Capps
Succeeded byChris Heagarty
Personal details
Born (1970-02-06) February 6, 1970
Newark, New Jersey
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceRaleigh, North Carolina
Alma materAppalachian State University
The George Washington University
ProfessionFundraiser,[1] consultant[2]

Warren Tyrone "Ty" Harrell (born February 6, 1970, in Newark, New Jersey) is a former Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 41st House district in western Wake County. He defeated Chris Mintz in the 2006 Democratic primary, and incumbent Russell Capps in the 2006 general election.

On September 20, 2009, just nine months into his second term in office, Harrell resigned from the North Carolina House of Representatives after separate investigations into his campaign expenditures were launched by the House Ethics Committee and the State Board of Elections;[3] however, after supplying the missing details and receipts going back to 2005, the Board of Elections concurred, notifying him that his case was closed "with no outstanding issues."

Personal life

Harrell was raised in Raleigh, North Carolina and graduated from Sanderson High School. Harrell received his B.A in English from Appalachian State University and his M.A in Political Management from The George Washington University. He is also a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Controversies & investigations

In early September 2009, the North Carolina State Board of Elections began an official audit of Harrell's campaign finance records, citing irregularities, unusual activity and incomplete entries.[4] Among the items that reportedly caught the attention of auditors were hundreds of dollars in campaign expenditures at clothing and luggage stores marked as "committee meetings" on the paperwork Harrell filed.[5]

Shortly after the Board of Elections' announcement, the NC House Speaker's Office announced that the Speaker had ordered an ethics investigation of Harrell over his financial records.[6]

On September 20, 2009, Harrell submitted a letter of resignation to House Speaker Joe Hackney, effective immediately, amid the ongoing controversy over campaign expenditures totaling more than $13,000, revelations he was living outside of his district, and his divorce from his wife.[3][7]

Legislative activities

In his first term as Representative of the 41st district, Harrell supported measures for higher teacher and state employee salaries, accessible and quality healthcare, protection of local small businesses and collaborative university efforts in the search for renewable energy sources.

Harrell began his second term as Chair of the House Committee on Science and Technology and vice-chair of the House Committee on State Government and State Personnel, as well as vice-chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation.

Early in his second term, Harrell received criticism for his support of H. 1252 ("Level Playing Field") in his committee. The bill was heavily supported by various conservative organizations as well as Time Warner Cable, which had a location within then-Representative Harrell's district.

The left-leaning North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research listed Harrell 52nd in their 2008 effectiveness rankings, the highest ranking given to any freshman lawmaker.[8] Those rankings have since been criticized for favoring the majority party, as they include votes from the media, lobbyists, and the lawmakers themselves.[9]

In the group's subsequent 2010 rankings, the Raleigh News & Observer reported that "the dubious honor for the biggest drop in effectiveness belongs to former Rep. Ty Harrell, who dropped from 52nd to 110th."[10]

Political activities

In June 2007, Harrell became the first elected official in North Carolina to endorse Barack Obama,[11] and after the president's election, Harrell was briefly rumored to have been considered a potential choice as Obama's ambassador to Canada.[12][13]

Electoral history

2008

North Carolina House of Representatives 41st district general election, 2008[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ty Harrell (incumbent) 30,929 53.77%
Republican Bryan Gossage 26,595 46.23%
Total votes 57,524 100%
Democratic hold

2006

North Carolina House of Representatives 41st district Democratic primary election, 2006[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ty Harrell 1,556 75.75%
Democratic Chris Mintz 498 24.25%
Total votes 2,054 100%
North Carolina House of Representatives 41st district general election, 2006[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ty Harrell 13,051 51.64%
Republican Russell Capps (incumbent) 12,224 48.36%
Total votes 25,275 100%
Democratic gain from Republican

References

  1. News & Observer profile page
  2. "News & Observer: Harrell faces ethics probe". Archived from the original on September 14, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
  3. 1 2 Johnson, Mark (September 20, 2009), "State Rep. Ty Harrell resigns", Raleigh News and Observer, retrieved September 20, 2009
  4. "Elections officials question lawmaker's expenses". September 8, 2009.
  5. Harrell asked for more informationThe News and Observer Archived September 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Harrell faces ethics probe - Local & State - News & Observer". Archived from the original on September 14, 2009.
  7. The News and Observer
  8. "N.C. General Assembly: Elections: Our Endorsements: Independent Weekly: Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill". www.indyweek.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2008.
  9. "North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research: A Long Legacy | Capitol Monitor". Archived from the original on October 18, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  10. Democrats dominate House effectiveness rankingsThe News and Observer Archived April 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Harrell for ObamaThe News and Observer Archived October 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  12. Ambassador HarrellThe News and Observer Archived March 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  13. "PLUM JOB Or Pain-in-the-Neck? | Embassy - Canada's Foreign Policy Newspaper". www.embassymag.ca. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011.
  14. North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  15. North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  16. North Carolina State Board of Elections.
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