Bloomberg Campaign Press Release - Former North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue Endorses Mike Bloomberg for President

Perdue will serve as North Carolina Campaign Co-Chair

RALEIGH, NC — Former North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue today endorsed Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg for president, lauding his track record on education as Mayor of New York and his ability to defeat Donald Trump. Perdue was also named North Carolina Co-Chair for the campaign, joining four other North Carolina Co-Chairs who have endorsed Mike for president in recent weeks across the battleground state: Astrid Chirinos, Molly Diggins, Andrea Harris, and Hugh McColl.

"We're losing a large part of our workforce because we're not educating and empowering the young people of this country with the tools and resources they need to succeed," said Former Governor Bev Perdue. "We need a president like Mike Bloomberg who has a record of addressing this country's education needs, improving schools, and student achievement, and removing barriers to access. As mayor of New York City, Mike turned around failing schools, created innovative new ones, strengthened standards and raised teachers' salaries. I'm proud to endorse Mike because he will make education the national priority it deserves to be."

"I'm honored to have the support of the first woman elected to lead North Carolina, and someone who has been a champion for education," said Mike Bloomberg. "Governor Perdue started her career as a teacher, and we share a deep belief in the power of education to create opportunities and transform lives. As mayor, I raised teacher salaries by 43 percent and doubled the education budget, which helped us increase graduation rates by 42 percent. As president, I will work to make sure all children receive a quality education that prepares them for success in college or a career, no matter what zip code they live in."

Perdue was the 73rd governor of North Carolina and the state's first female governor and lieutenant governor. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to the pursuit of continuous learning and ensuring that others received the same opportunities. While in office, she shepherded numerous pro-education policies and programs and was the first governor to implement statewide standards across all levels of education.

By focusing on investment in innovative education technology, Perdue helped build public-private partnerships to help integrate 21st century technology into classrooms throughout North Carolina. Her legacy includes the creation of a statewide broadband education network for public schools, which is now recognized nationally as the model to emulate due to its unparalleled success. By the end of her first term, North Carolina's graduation rate was over 80% for the first time in history. Perdue continues to work with a variety of organizations and boards including Ridge-Lane, Whiteboard Advisors, and digiLEARN.

As president, Mike will build on his record as mayor and invest in making America's public schools the best in the world. He will ensure that all students — regardless of race, class, or gender — are prepared to succeed in college and the workplace. He will boost teacher salaries, help states attract and retain quality teachers, and promote the creation of innovative new public schools. He will also upgrade career and technical programs that connect education to good-paying jobs, enrolling 1 million students annually in quality apprenticeships and other work-based credential programs.