Dan Blue

Blue graduated from North Carolina Central University and the Duke University School of Law, establishing a law practice in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[http://politicalgraveyard.com/group/alpha-phi-alpha.html Alpha Phi Alpha, Politician members] Political Graveyard

In 2009, Blue was selected by local Democrats to take the place of Sen. Vernon Malone, who died in office.[http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1517127.html News & Observer: Blue to serve out Malone's Senate term] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508141917/http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1517127.html|date=May 8, 2009}} He joined the Senate on May 19, 2009.{{cite web|date=May 19, 2009|title=News & Observer: Blue moves over to the Senate|url=http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/blue_moves_over_to_the_senate|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304094459/http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/blue_moves_over_to_the_senate|archive-date=March 4, 2012|access-date=May 18, 2012|publisher=Projects.newsobserver.com|df=mdy-all}} In 2014, Blue was elected Senate minority leader by his Democratic colleagues when Sen. Martin L. Nesbitt had to step down abruptly due to health issues.{{cite web|last=WRAL|date=March 4, 2014|title=Blue to replace ailing Nesbitt as leader of Senate Dems :: WRAL.com|url=http://www.wral.com/blue-to-replace-ailing-nesbitt-as-leader-of-senate-dems/13449854/|access-date=November 11, 2016}} Blue was elected to a full term as minority leader after the 2014 elections.[http://www.wncn.com/story/27653888/dan-blue-to-remain-nc-senate-minority-leader WNCN/Associated Press] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219035926/http://www.wncn.com/story/27653888/dan-blue-to-remain-nc-senate-minority-leader|date=December 19, 2014}}

Blue served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1981 through 2002 and from 2006 through his 2009 Senate appointment, representing a portion of the state capital, Raleigh.

Blue was the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1991 until 1994, when the Democrats lost control of the House to Republicans. Blue was the first—and to date, only--African American to hold the post of Speaker in North Carolina.{{CN|date=January 2025}}

From 1998 to 1999, Blue served as the first African-American President of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

He sought unsuccessfully to regain his position as Speaker when the Democrats got back the majority in 1999, by forming a coalition of Democrats and Republicans that fell two votes shy of a majority. Blue remained in the House until he ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 2002, in which he came in second place behind nominee Erskine Bowles and ahead of Secretary of State Elaine Marshall.[http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/NCSBE/Elec/Results/resultsby_contest_single1.asp?ED=09102002PRIMARY2002DEMAUS%2520SENATE&B1=Submit 2002 Primary Election Results, US Senate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718191124/http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/NCSBE/Elec/Results/resultsby_contest_single1.asp?ED=09102002PRIMARY2002DEMAUS%20SENATE&B1=Submit |date=July 18, 2011 }}, ''North Carolina Board of Elections

He was selected by his local Democratic Party to return to what was essentially his former seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives, after his successor, Bernard Allen, died while running unopposed in the November 2006 election.[https://archive.today/20070514111849/http://www.newsobserver.com/114/story/502920.html Blue selected for Allen's seat in state House], Matthew Eisley, The News & Observer, October 26, 2006 Democrats also voted to allow Allen's votes in the election to go toward Blue.[http://www.newsobserver.com/692/story/501499.html Forum lifts Blue as leader for seat]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Ryan Teague Beckwith, The News & Observer, October 22, 2006

Governor Mike Easley, obligated to accept the nomination of the party, appointed Blue to the legislature on November 2, 2006.[http://www.wral.com/news/10228411/detail.html WRAL News]{{dead link|date=May 2012}} He served the remaining months of Allen's term and then took his seat for a full term in January 2007.{{CN|date=January 2025}}

Blue serves on Duke University's board of trustees and was elected chairman in 2009. He was the first African American to chair Duke's board.{{cite web|date=May 8, 2009|title=News & Observer: Big week for Blue|url=http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/big_week_for_blue|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304094414/http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/big_week_for_blue|archive-date=March 4, 2012|access-date=May 18, 2012|publisher=Projects.newsobserver.com|df=mdy-all}}

After leaving the North Carolina House of Representatives, Blue returned to his private law practice and was hired as a lobbyist for cities on energy issues.{{CN|date=January 2025}}

Blue and his wife, Edna, have three children. His daughter Kanika, is a law professor at Campbell Law School. Kanika is married to Jeff Capel III, a college basketball coach.{{cite web|title=Sources: Capel to return to Duke as assistant - CBSSports.com|url=http://gary-parrish.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/29151178|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322065156/http://gary-parrish.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/29151178|archive-date=March 22, 2012|access-date=May 18, 2012|publisher=Gary-parrish.blogs.cbssports.com|df=mdy-all}} Blue's son, Dan III, ran for North Carolina State Treasurer in the 2016 elections.{{cite web|title=Republican Dale Folwell next NC Treasurer|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article113421523.html|access-date=November 11, 2016}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=Senate&nUserID=268 North Carolina General Assembly - Senator Dan Blue] official NC Senate website
• [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=5945 Project Vote Smart - Representative Daniel Terry 'Dan' Blue Jr. (NC)] profile
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081023173619/http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/profiles/dan_blue News & Observer profile]
• Follow the Money - Dan Blue
• [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=99300 2008] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=40436 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=60215 1998] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=60214 1996] campaign contributions
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080703154715/http://www.tbsf-law.com/attorneys-thigpen-blue-stephens-fellers.html Daniel T. Blue Jr.] Thigpen, Blue, Stephens & Fellers, attorney profile
• [http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020401&s=zengerle040102 The New Republic article]
• {{C-SPAN|12123}}

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{{North Carolina State Senators}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue, Daniel T. Jr.}}

Category:1949 births

Category:20th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly

Category:20th-century African-American politicians

Category:21st-century African-American politicians

Category:21st-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly

Category:African-American candidates for the United States Senate

Category:African-American state legislators in North Carolina

Category:Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives

Category:Democratic Party North Carolina state senators

Category:Duke University School of Law alumni

Category:Living people

Category:North Carolina Central University alumni

Category:North Carolina lawyers

Category:Politicians from Raleigh, North Carolina

Category:People from Lumberton, North Carolina

Category:Speakers of the North Carolina House of Representatives