Burgin to Run for State Senate

September 8

By BART ADAMS

Editor & Publisher

• Wins Rabin endorsement.

Pledging to focus on jobs, education and the state’s need to address mental health care and the opioid crisis, former Harnett County Commissioner Jim Burgin of Angier announced his candidacy for the North Carolina Senate in 2018.

“I think, after being a county commissioner for eight years and seeing what can be done, that there are some things that can only be achieved though the political process,” he told The Daily Record.

A successful business leader, Mr. Burgin is seeking the District 12 Senate seat currently held by fellow Republican Ronald Rabin of Anderson Creek, who will retire after completing this, his third term in office.

“Jim is my friend,” Sen. Rabin said. “He agrees with a lot of my thought processes and I do support his candidacy.”
The district includes all of Harnett and Lee counties and a small part of Johnston County.

Mr. Burgin said he has friends and customers in each of these counties and understands what they would like to see from their lawmakers See Burgin, Page 12A

On education, Mr. Burgin wants to see gains in student performance, and sees the issue as being about more than money. But he did praise gains in education funding during Sen. Rabin’s time in office.

Sen. Rabin said North Carolina has seen an increase in the number of college students seeking to become teachers. And more teachers from other states are now applying for jobs here.

“Education got into the shape it was in during Democratic rule,” Mr. Burgin said, “not under Republicans.”

Mr. Burgin also had praise for the man he hopes to succeed.

“He’s always returned his calls, he’s always willing to meet with anyone,” he said of Sen. Rabin. “He always served with the goal of being a statesman and he’s always acted with civility.”

Mr. Burgin is president and owner of C& D Insurance and Insurance Network Group, chairman of the board of New Horizon Insurance Group and president of B.C. Property Inc., a real estate development company. He is also a partner in John Hiester Automotive, which owns Chevrolet and Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealerships.

During Mr. Burgin’s eight years on the Harnett County Board of Commissioners, he was chairman for three years. And he served on the board of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

Former Gov. Pat McCrory appointed Mr. Burgin to both the State Health Coordinating Council and the State Retirement Board. Gov. McCrory also awarded Mr. Burgin the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of the state’s highest civilian honors.

Mr. Burgin currently serves as vice president of the Central Carolina Community College Board of Trustees.

Among his other volunteer efforts in support of education, he has served as president of both the Buies Creek and Harnett Central Middle School parent-teacher groups.
An active leader of Crossroads Church of Lillington, Mr. Burgin is an elder, Sunday school teacher and Life Group leader.

A past Angier Man of the Year, Mr. Burgin has served as the chief elected official on the Triangle South Workforce Development Board and as president of the Mid-Carolina Council of Governments, which gave him its highest award, the M.H. “Jack” Brock Memorial Award, which was named for the late Harnett County manager and commissioner.

Mr. Burgin has served as president of both the Angier and Lillington chambers of commerce. And he has been president of the Angier Kiwanis Club and of the Agents Council of National Grange Mutual Insurance. He currently serves on the local board of First Bank in Harnett and southern Wake counties.

Among other awards and honors, Mr. Burgin was twice named the Kiwanis Man of the Year. And C& D Insurance has been named Business of the Year by the Angier Chamber and Agency of the Year by Main Street America Group.

Mr. Burgin and his wife, Ann, have been married 37 years and have three children and two grandchildren with a third due later this month.

He was born in Knoxville, Tenn., and attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville where he graduated with honors with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.