Deborah’s commitment to the community runs deep.

Deborah grew up in a small town. From a young age, Deborah’s parents instilled in her the belief that with opportunities came responsibilities and that through public service she could make people’s lives better. Her husband of more than 20 years, Steve Wrinn, has been a supportive partner.

North Carolina House of Representatives

Deborah served as a representative in the N.C. House for more than ten years, where she championed transportation, housing, infrastructure, historic preservation, ethics, voting rights, and domestic violence laws. She served both as Majority and as Minority Whip and chaired the Judiciary, Ethics and Election Laws Committees.

Senate Campaign

Deborah ran for U.S. Senate in 2016. She earned more than 2.1 million votes, travelled to more than 90 counties, was endorsed by newspapers from the mountains to the coast, and raised more than $15 million.

Legal Practice

Deborah serves as Counsel at Smith Moore Leatherwood, where she focuses her legal practice on meeting the economic development, energy, utilities, and infrastructure needs of communities, businesses and government. She advises businesses and governmental units about the legal, regulatory and public policy landscape and works to achieve positive results.

Deborah spent more than seven years as a constitutional and civil rights attorney. She taught law as a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke Law School. And, she developed ethics programs and consulted with North Carolina businesses through her work with the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke.

Recognition & Community Service

Deborah has received dozens of awards for her community service, among the most recent:

  • Fellow, UNC Institute of Politics (2017)
  • North Carolina Bar Association Citizen Lawyer Award (2014)
  • Defender of the Environment, NC League of Conservation Voters (2013)
  • Defender of Justice, NC Justice Center (2012)
  • Legislator of the Year – Southeast Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors (2012)
  • Honorary Doctorate in Public Administration, Peace College, Raleigh, NC (2011)

Deborah is active in her community and continues to travel the State speaking to students, civic groups, and hearing from North Carolina’s diverse communities.

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