Terry Allen Goodin (born December 31, 1966) is an American politician who currently serves as Indiana state director for

USDA Rural Development USDA Rural Development (RD) is a mission area within the United States Department of Agriculture which runs programs intended to improve the economy and quality of life in rural parts of the United States. Rural Development has a loan portfolio o ...

. Goodin was formerly a Democratic member of the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House mem ...

, representing the 66th district from 2000 to 2020. He was the Democratic nominee for

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

in the 2024 Indiana gubernatorial election.

Early life and education

Goodin was born in

Seymour, Indiana Seymour is a city in Jackson Township, Jackson County, Indiana, Jackson and Redding Township, Jackson County, Indiana, Redding Townships, Jackson County, Indiana, United States, located 62 miles south of Indianapolis, and 55 miles north of Louisvi ...

. He is a graduate of Austin High School, earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from

Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University (Eastern or EKU) is a public university in Richmond, Kentucky. It also maintains branch campuses in Corbin, Hazard, and Manchester and offers over 40 online undergraduate and graduate options. History Founding ...

, and received his Doctor of Education degree from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

Career

Goodin was first elected to the

in 2000. Goodin served as the minority leader of the House for a partial term following the resignation of

Scott Pelath Scott Douglas Pelath (born July 9, 1970) was the Minority Leader of the Indiana House of Representatives. From 1998 to 2018 he represented Indiana's 9th District, which currently covers portions of LaPorte County and Porter County in Northwest ...

. He was not re-elected to the position by the Democratic caucus. He also served as superintendent of Crothersville Community Schools and raises beef cattle on his family farm. In February 2022, President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

appointed Goodin as the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...

’s Indiana state director for rural development. In June 2024, Goodin was endorsed by the Democratic nominee for

governor of Indiana The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state gover ...

Jennifer McCormick Jennifer McCormick is an American politician and educator who served as the 44th and last Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. Formerly a Republican, she unseated the Democratic incumbent Glenda Ritz in the 2016 election and served on ...

, to be the Democratic nominee for

Personal life

Goodin lives in

Austin, Indiana Austin is a city in Jennings Township, Scott County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 4,064 at the 2020 census, at which time it was a town; Austin became a city on January 1, 2008. The population was 4,064 at the 2020 census ...

with his wife Darcie; they have two children together. He is

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

References

External links

Representative Terry Goodin
state legislative website , - , - 1966 births Living people 21st-century members of the Indiana General Assembly Biden administration personnel Democratic Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives Eastern Kentucky University alumni Indiana University Bloomington alumni People from Seymour, Indiana United States Department of Agriculture officials Candidates in the 2024 United States elections {{Indiana-politician-stub