Carte Goodwin | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2010 | |
| United States Senator fromWest Virginia | |
| In office July 16, 2010 – November 15, 2010 | |
| Appointed by | Joe Manchin |
| Preceded by | Robert Byrd |
| Succeeded by | Joe Manchin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Carte Patrick Goodwin (1974-02-27)February 27, 1974 (age 51) Mount Alto,West Virginia, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Rochelle Goodwin |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Joseph Goodwin (uncle) Booth Goodwin (cousin) |
| Education | Marietta College (BA) Emory University (JD) |
Goodwin questioning witnesses at aSenate HELP Committee hearing about for-profit college financial aid. Recorded August 4, 2010 | |
Carte Patrick Goodwin (born February 27, 1974) is an American attorney and politician who served as aUnited States senator fromWest Virginia in 2010. A member of theDemocratic Party, he was appointed byGovernorJoe Manchin on July 16, 2010 to fill the vacancy created by the death ofRobert Byrd. He chose not toseek election to finish Byrd’s unexpired term. Goodwin left office on November 15, 2010 when Manchin was sworn in after being elected to the Senate.
Prior to his appointment as a United States senator, Goodwin served as Manchin's chief counsel. In 2008, he was named one of the "Ten Most Successful Young Executives in West Virginia" byExecutive magazine.[1] In 2010,Time named him one of the rising stars of American politics under 40, in their list of "40 under 40".[2] After leaving the Senate, Goodwin joined the law firm ofFrost Brown Todd. From 2011 to 2021, Goodwin served as a commissioner on theUnited States-China Economic and Security Review Commission.[3]
Goodwin was born on February 27, 1974, to Ellen (née Gibson) and Stephen Patrick Goodwin, and was raised in ruralMount Alto, West Virginia.[4] He comes from a prominent West Virginia political family.[5] Goodwin's father chaired theWest Virginia University board of directors.[6] His uncle,Joseph Robert Goodwin, served as Chief Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.[7]
Goodwin graduated from Ripley High School in 1992, and graduatedmagna cum laude fromMarietta College in 1996 where he earned aBachelor of Arts inphilosophy.[8] In 1999 Goodwin earned hisJuris Doctor fromEmory University School of Law, graduating a member of theOrder of the Coif.[9]
After graduating from law school, Goodwinclerked for4th CircuitJudgeRobert Bruce King from 1999 to 2000.[10][11] In 2000 Goodwin joined his family'slaw firm, Goodwin & Goodwin, working there until 2005.[12] He rejoined the firm in 2009.[13]
In 2004, Goodwin worked on then-Secretary of StateJoe Manchin's successfulcampaign for governor.[14] Goodwin was appointed chairman of the West Virginia School Building Authority by Manchin and later served as his chief counsel, from 2005 to 2009.[15] As the governor's counsel, Goodwin assisted in the drafting ofmine rescue and security measures, sparked by fatal accidents in theAracoma andSago Mines.[14] In June 2009, Manchin appointed Goodwin chairman of the Independent Commission on Judicial Reform, which studied the need for changes in the judicial system in West Virginia.[16][17]
In 2011, Senate Majority LeaderHarry Reid appointed Goodwin to a two-year term as a commissioner of theUnited States-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a position to which he was re-appointed until 2021.[18] He was reappointed in 2023.[19]
On July 16, 2010, Manchin appointed Goodwin to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of SenatorRobert Byrd, until aspecial election could choose a permanent successor.[20] Goodwin stated that he would not seek election to the seat in his own right, and that he would leave office once a new senator had been elected.[21] Observers suggested that Goodwin had been appointed as aplaceholder for Manchin, who subsequently won the special election to complete Byrd's term.[2][22]
Before being sworn in to office, Goodwin broke with Senate Democrats, stating he would not support theircap-and-trade bill.[23]
Goodwin was sworn into the Senate on July 20, 2010, and quickly joined with fellow Democrats to pass an extension of unemployment benefits, an effort they previously were unable to pass due to a Republicanfilibuster.[24][25] He voted toconfirmElena Kagan as anassociate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.[26]
Goodwin's term expired on November 15, 2010, when Manchin was sworn in as a U.S. senator.[27] During his short tenure, Goodwin served on the following committees:[28][29]
Goodwin was mentioned as a possible candidate to run to succeed Senator Jay Rockefeller, who chose not to run for re-election in2014.[30] However, Goodwin said he had no intention of running, citing family concerns.[31]
In 2021, U.S. Circuit JudgeRobert Bruce King announced plans to assumesenior status, but later rescinded those plans. Reports indicated that King preferred to have Goodwin, his former clerk, replace him and was displeased that the White House had a different potential nominee in mind.[32][33][34]
After leaving the Senate, Goodwin joined the law firm ofFrost Brown Todd, where he has served as member-in-charge for theirCharleston, West Virginia, office and vice chair for the firm's national Appellate Practice Group.[35] As of June 2023, Goodwin remains a partner at the firm.[36]
Goodwin and his wife, Rochelle, have two children, a son named Wesley and a daughter named Anna.[5] Rochelle Goodwin worked for West Virginia's U.S. SenatorJay Rockefeller as his state director.[6]
Goodwin's cousin,Booth Goodwin, was appointedUnited States Attorney for theSouthern District of West Virginia by PresidentBarack Obama.[37][38]
| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 1) from West Virginia 2010 Served alongside:Jay Rockefeller | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Baby of the Senate 2010 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Senator | Order of precedence of the United States | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Senator |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 | ||
