Franklin Edward Freeman Jr. (born 1945) is a lawyer and public official in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, who retired from government service in 2009 as Senior Assistant for Governmental Affairs to Governor

Mike Easley Michael Francis Easley (born March 23, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the List of Governors of North Carolina, 72nd governor of North Carolina from 2001 to 2009. He is the first governor of North Carolina to have been ...

. He worked for Easley during the entirety of his two terms (2001–2009). As of 2009, Freeman is a partner in the

McGuireWoods McGuireWoods LLP is a US-based international law firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Initially founded in 1834, the firm has grown into the largest law firm in the state of Virginia, and has 21 offices across the country. Along with its Ric ...

law firm and vice president of McGuireWoods Consulting. Freeman, a native of

Surry County, North Carolina Surry County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,359. Its county seat is Dobson, and its largest community is Mount Airy. Surry county comprises the Mount Airy, NC Micropol ...

, graduated from the University of North Carolina Law School and clerked for state Supreme Court Justice

Dan K. Moore Daniel Killian Moore (April 2, 1906September 7, 1986) was the 66th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1965 to 1969. Life and career Daniel Killian Moore was born in Asheville, North Carolina, on April 2, 1906 to Fred Moore and Lela E ...

. Between 1971 and 1993, Freeman worked as a prosecutor and as an official at the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. In 1992, Freeman was defeated in the Democratic Primary by Ralph Campbell in his bid to be State Auditor. Campbell became the first African-American to hold a statewide elected executive office in North Carolina. Freeman became a close advisor to former state Governor

Jim Hunt James Baxter Hunt Jr. (born May 16, 1937) is an American politician and retired attorney who was the List of governors of North Carolina, 69th and 71st governor of North Carolina (1977–1985, and 1993–2001). He is the longest-serving governo ...

and served as Secretary of the state Department of Correction during Hunt's 1993-1997 term. He then became Hunt's chief of staff and legislative counsel.Freeman Moves up
/ref> Hunt later appointed Freeman to fill a vacancy on the

North Carolina Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina is the state of North Carolina's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists ...

, but Freeman was defeated in a bid to be elected to a full term on the Court in 2000 by Justice Robert Edmunds Jr. Under Gov. Easley, Freeman assumed a role similar to his post under Hunt.

Electoral history

2000

References

"Freeman blended Mayberry manner with liberal views
,"

News and Observer ''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The paper is the largest in circulation in the state (second is the '' Charlotte Observer''). The paper has be ...

, Jan. 4, 2009. {{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Franklin 1945 births Living people People from Surry County, North Carolina University of North Carolina School of Law alumni Justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court State cabinet secretaries of North Carolina North Carolina Democrats North Carolina lawyers