Senator Mike Woodard Contact information

Name: James Michael Woodard Born: February 20, 1959 Place of Birth: Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. Education: Duke University (Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981) Political Party: Democratic

Early Life and Education: James Michael Woodard was born on February 20, 1959, in Charleston, South Carolina. His father, a service member in the United States Air Force, was stationed in Charleston at the time, and during Woodard’s childhood, his family also lived in Anchorage, Alaska, and Mountain Home, Idaho. When he was nine years old, he moved to Wilson, North Carolina, with his mother and brother after his father was deployed to Vietnam. Woodard attended Duke University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981.

Career: Duke University (1996-present): Woodard has worked as an administrator at Duke University and the Duke University Health System since 1996. In a 2010 profile of Woodard, his job was described as an “analyst for Duke’s Administrative Systems Management office”.

Durham City Council (2005-2012): Woodard was first elected to the Durham City Council in 2005, representing the city’s third ward. He defeated incumbent city council member John Best Jr. He was reelected to the city council in 2009, defeating Allan Polak. The News & Observer reported that during Woodard’s time on the city council, he was “known for attending more Durham events than any other council member”. He was considered a potential successor to Durham mayor Bill Bell, but he was elected to the North Carolina Senate before Bell’s retirement in 2017.

North Carolina Senate (2013-present): Woodard was first elected to represent the 22nd district in the North Carolina Senate in 2012, defeating Kerry Sutton in the Democratic primary and Milton Holmes in the general election. The 22nd district was an open seat after redistricting in North Carolina, and included parts of Durham, Person, and Caswell counties.