Princeton mayor is running for Statehouse
By From staff reports
Published in News on March 12, 2014 1:46 PM
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Don Rains
Six-term Princeton Mayor Don Rains has filed as a Democratic candidate for the N.C. Senate District 10 seat representing Johnston, Sampson and Duplin counties.
He will face incumbent District 10 Sen. Brent Jackson, a Republican from Autryville in Sampson County, in the Nov. 4 election. Not enough candidates filed to create the need for a primary for that office.
"I am filing because North Carolina can do better than having our teachers paid the 46th lowest in the country," Rains said in a prepared statement. "The General Assembly also voted to reduce the number of teacher assistants, reduce funding for textbooks, and increase the (class) size of students per classrooms. North Carolina cannot move forward if we do not find the funding to educate our students.
"Instead of funding education, the General Assembly reduced taxes on higher-income individuals and major corporations, and eliminated the Earned Income Tax Credit for families earning less than $50,000. In addition, middle and lower income families have been impacted by paying higher taxes on new sales tax items."
The current General Assembly is "leading us in the wrong direction," he said.
"While education is the leading issue, we also are heading backward on job recruitment, voter fairness, environment, and health care," Rains said. "Moving forward also means supporting the farmers of our district that are so important to our state economy."
Rains is married to Vicky Temple-Rains, a career educator in Johnston County Public Schools and currently assistant principal at McGees Crossroads Elementary.
They have two children, Logan, a senior at Elon University, and Anna, a freshman, at Campbell University.
A Princeton native, Rains graduated from Princeton High School and East Carolina University with a bachelor's degree in history. Rains has an advanced certification in insurance, the CPCU and CIC designation.
He is active in leadership positions with the Princeton United Methodist Church, Princeton Lions Club, St. Patrick's Masonic Lodge and the Princeton Chamber of Commerce.
He owns Rains and Associates Insurance, an exclusive agent for Allstate Insurance in the Cleveland/N.C.42 area in Johnston County. He also is involved in farming and real estate ventures throughout eastern North Carolina.
As mayor of Princeton for the past 12 years, Rains said he has worked with various interest groups to enhance quality of life for the community. By building a consensus on the town board, as well with the town staff, Princeton has grown in population, increased its tax base and city limits, and has attracted new businesses, he said.
Under his tenure, the town established its first community park, moved into a new town hall, and updated its water and sewer plants, Rains said.
Much of this success was by building relationships with state and federal programs by promoting community needs, Rains said.
As mayor, Rains has been involved in regional programs such as the Triangle J Council of Governments and the U.S. 70 Super Corridor Commission.
Rains also serves on the board of directors for the Tuscarora Boy Scout Council which serves Duplin, Johnston, Sampson and Wayne counties.