He founded the North Carolina Center for Voter Education and served as its Executive Director from 2000 to 2007. He was appointed to serve as a State House Representative in 2009. He has spent many years working on civic education and campaign reform, and presents on campaign finance reform, judicial selection and ethics in government. He received his bachelor’s from N.C. State University in 1992 and his juris doctorate from N.C. Central University in 2010. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Heagarty has lived in Raleigh since 1978.