William L. Wainwright
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William L. Wainwright (October 19, 1947 – July 17, 2012) was a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's twelfth House district, including constituents in Craven and Lenoir counties. A church elder from Havelock, North Carolina, Wainwright was serving in his eleventh term in the state House of Representatives when he died in office after a prolonged illness.<ref>News & Observer: Rep. William Wainwright, a leading Democrat, has died Template:Webarchive</ref>
Biography
William Wainwright was born in Somerville, Tennessee and graduated with a BS degree from Memphis State University in 1970.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was pastor of Piney Grove AME Zion Church from 1985 to 1993.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In January 2007, Wainwright was nominated by his colleagues in the Democratic caucus as Speaker pro tempore of the House.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was elected on January 24, making him the first African American to serve in the number-two post in the House since Reconstruction.<ref>http://www.stategovernmentradio.com/articlePrint.html?section=25&aid=15878 Template:Dead link</ref> He was re-elected Speaker pro tempore in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After Democrats lost their House majority, Wainwright was elected deputy minority leader.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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