Burlington City Councilman Stephen M. Ross will run as a Republican candidate for the N.C. House of Representatives District 63 seat.The city of Burlington announced Ross’ intentions through a news release Friday.
The seat is currently held by Rep. Alice Bordsen, who announced earlier this month that she wouldn’t seek a sixth term in the house. She’s represented the district since 2002. Mebane City Councilwoman Patty Philipps announced her intention to run for the vacant seat as a Democrat on Feb. 3. Roger Parker, a Republican who lost to Bordsen in 2010, announced his plans to run for the seat last year.
Ross, 60, was mayor of Burlington from 2003 to 2007. He said Friday he is a vice president and investment officer with “a major financial services firm,” but said regulations prohibit him from naming the company. According to his LinkedIn.com profile, Ross is employed at Berrall Kons Group of Wells Fargo Advisors out of Greensboro/Winston-Salem. He’s worked in finance since 1980.
He believes his experience will give him insight into how to fix state operations and prepare North Carolina to attract businesses and cutting-edge industry. He thinks the state can improve its business climate and create a stronger job market. As mayor of Burlington, Ross was instrumental in bringing Honda Aero’s manufacturing facility to the Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport.
“The top priority for the state is the economy. It’s jobs. If the right decisions are made, (North Carolina) can become an economic powerhouse. Businesses like to move here. People like to move here,” Ross said.
He plans to file for office sometime next week. The filing period opens on Monday.“I intend to run a hard campaign,” Ross said, adding that he plans to study the city of Mebane and Philipps’ work there.
He has served in various capacities on Burlington’s council and boards for more than 16 years. As a councilman, he currently works on the N.C. League of Municipalities’ Tax and Finance Committee and on the National League of Cities’ Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee.
He is an Eagle Scout and is a member of the Boy Scouts Old North State Council Executive Committee and the National Eagle Scout Association. He formerly served as president of the Alamance Division of the American Heart Association, is a member of the Alamance County Mayors’ Committee for Persons with Disabilities and serves on the business advisory committee for OE Enterprises Inc.He is an active member of St. Mark’s Reformed Church. He and his wife, Tammy, have been married 18 years and have four daughters.
In the release, Ross said he will continue fulfilling his duties as a councilman while running for state office.According to a 1972 Times-News article, Ross was appointed as the Republican candidate for “the Alamance-Rockingham seat in the N.C. House of Representatives” while still a political science student at Elon College. That nomination occurred after a candidate dropped out of the race that spring.
February 11, 2012 6:26 PM
