The statewide committee of EMPAC, the political arm of the State Employees Association of North Carolina, announced today its endorsements for nine Council of State seats.

In addition to endorsing Roy Cooper for governor, EMPAC’s endorsed candidates for Council of State are:

• Linda Coleman for Lieutenant Governor
• Dale Folwell for State Treasurer
• Josh Stein for Attorney General
• Elaine Marshall for Secretary of State
• Beth Wood for State Auditor
• June Atkinson for State Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Steve Troxler for Commissioner of Agriculture
• Wayne Goodwin for Commissioner of Insurance
• Charles Meeker for Commissioner of Labor

All candidates for each office were invited to take part in an extensive interview process, which concluded on July 30. EMPAC’s Statewide Committee then voted on the endorsements.

Linda Coleman was endorsed last year for the office of Lieutenant Governor. A longtime SEANC member and advocate for state employees and retirees, Coleman came within 7,000 votes of making history in the 2012 Lieutenant Governor race. She would be the first African-American female to hold the position if she wins her rematch with incumbent Dan Forest.

EMPAC voted in April to endorse Dale Folwell for the Treasurer’s office. Controlling more than $90 billion in retirement investments through the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System as well as the State Health Plan, the treasurer perhaps is the single-most important position on the Council for state employees and retirees. Folwell has pledged to put an end to extravagant fees being paid to Wall Street manager through the retirement fund.