A Rockingham businessman has announced his bid to run for a N.C. House seat being vacated by Rep. Melanie Wade Goodwin.

Kenneth Goodman is the current chair of the Richmond County Board of Education, owner of R.W. Goodman Furniture in Rockingham and owns an interest in Richmond Yarns in Ellerbe, but hopes to add state representative to his resume.

Goodman, a Democrat, said the three major platforms he will campaign on are public education funding and industrial development in the 66th District, and reforming the state’s tax code to reflect its modern economy.

“The economic, educational and social challenges facing our part of the state are real and growing,” Goodman said in a press release. “That is why it is urgent that we have a strong voice in Raleigh. I want to be that voice.”

In a Monday interview at the Daily Journal office, Goodman said his dedication to education has not wavered, and he sees running for state seat as an extension of his work in that capacity.

“I’m still very committed to education, and I think I can affect the quality of education in Richmond County and accomplish more if elected to this office,” Goodman said.

He said funding for public education is not divided in an equitable fashion.

“We don’t get our share of state funds, though in Raleigh they may say that we do,” he said. “The state guarantees that each child’s education will be funded in the same way, but education is just not as well funded here. The average local supplement in North Carolina is about $2,000 a student, and in Richmond County it’s about $1,200. That’s a concern of mine, that the state doesn’t live up to its end of the bargain.”

Goodman also said industrial development is a matter of necessity throughout the state, but is especially needed in this district.

“We’ve been left out of that to a certain degree, and I want to address that,” he said. “I think my experience running a small business for 40 years and being involved in a manufacturing company has given me some ideas that can be useful in that regard.”

Goodman’s final major platform is the statewide issue of tax code reform.

“I think reforming the tax code in this state is a real big issue that needs to be looked at, and is going to be on-going,” he said. “I think I have some ideas that can be very helpful.”

He said the current tax code is built on “an antiquated platform.”

“The old manufacturing and agricultural base has changed, and I think the tax code needs to change with it - in a way that will bring in more tax base for the state, but lower it for a lot of people.”

Goodman is the son of Raymond Goodman, who is the namesake of Goodman Furniture and served as the sheriff of Richmond County for 44 years. The younger Goodman acknowledged his father was influential in this county and region, but says he is his own candidate.

“I want to run on the merits of what I think I can do, and what I can accomplish,” he said. “I’m not going to run away from my family’s history because it’s good, but I want to run because I think I can be effective and do something good for this district.”

Given his family’s profile in Richmond County, he acknowledged he may not be as recognizable in the other county in the district.

“That’s going to take some work, but of course our business has a number of customers from Montgomery County,” Goodman said. “Demographically, I think Montgomery County’s a lot like Richmond County, so their problems are our problems, and I think we’re part of a region. What helps them or helps us should work mutually for everybody.”

Goodman made the case that his community involvement has given him insight into the challenges facing the 66th District.

“I have lived and worked here all my life, and I feel that I understand the challenges this region,” Goodman said, pointing to several statistics.

First, he pointed out the college graduation rate in the state is around 24 percent, while it is 10 percent in Richmond County.

“We need to do a better job of educating our people so we can prepare them to be successful,” he said.

He also said the median home value in North Carolina is approximately $108,000 while in Richmond County it is $59,000, and the median household income in Richmond County is about $32,000 while it is about $49,000 statewide.

He also said the state’s population is growing while Richmond County’s population has declined in recent years.

“These are things we want to turn around, and it’s not going to be an overnight process,” he said. “It’s going to take time, but we’ve got to get started.”

“Something I find particularly troubling is that the average retail sales per capita is about 15 percent lower in Richmond County than it is in the state,” he said. “We’re talking about $10,600 in the state and about $8,900 here. Obviously, there is not enough money flowing through our local economy.”

“I’m not a miracle worker,” he said. “Really, no one is a miracle worker, you get up there and you try to do the best you can, and I feel I can be effective and get a lot accomplished if I am elected.”