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Now that the dust has settled from the General Election of 2012, we want to extend congratulations to three hometown boys who will handle the welfare of all state residents at the capital in Raleigh.

Two of the men have already joined the ranks of movers and shakers in state government and will be returning for a new term of public office: State Rep. Ken Goodman and State Commissioner of Insurance Wayne Goodwin.

Goodman and Goodwin have been returned to the capital by area voters, and in Goodwin’s case by voters state-wide.

Goodwin, an attorney from Hamlet, was first elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in the 2008 election. He previously served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state’s 68th House District, including constituents in Richmond and Stanly counties. His prior district — the 32nd House District — also included Scotland and Montgomery Counties.

Goodwin, a Democrat, won re-election by earning 2,205,619 votes on Tuesday, or 51.82 percent of all votes cast in the state. His opponent, Republican Mike Causey, garnered 2,050,679 votes or 48.18 percent.

Goodman, a Rockingham business owner, ran for re-election to the state house unopposed, which in this highly charged political era could lead one to make the convincing argument that the man is doing an acceptable job in the General Assembly. Hats off to you, sir. Keep up the good work.

Gene McLaurin, of Rockingham, is the latest Richmond County resident to venture into deeper political waters and come up victorious.

McLaurin, a Democrat, went up against New London retired teacher Gene McIntyre, a Republican. Both men fought for the District 25 seat in the state senate, held now by Sen. William Purcell, who chose not to run for another term.

The district includes Richmond, Scotland, Anson and Stanly counties.

According to the State Board of Elections, the unofficial tally of votes on Tuesday shows McLaurin won the race by earning 44,023 votes, or 52.92 percent of all votes cast in the race. McIntyre received 39,163 votes, or 47.08 percent.

As the mayor of Rockingham and as president of the Swink-Quality Oil Company, McLaurin trumpeted his experience in both the public and private sectors as experience that North Carolina politics is in need of. As McLaurin prepares for his new job in Raleigh, he promises to work with members of the opposition party in order to get things accomplished.

“The message I try to convey is that I believe Democrats and Republicans have to work together and I’ve got a record of reaching across the isles,” McLaurin told the Daily Journal. “I did that for years as mayor of Rockingham and I plan to do that when I get to Raleigh. I want us to get the economy back on track, get unemployment rates down and get people back to their jobs.”

We see McLaurin, Goodman and Goodwin as stand up men who will look out for their home county of Richmond, as they also work for best interests of all North Carolinians.