On March 18th, Neil Bradley sat down with the Raleigh Chamber to get to know Congresswoman Deborah Ross.
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Who is Congresswoman Deborah Ross?
Elected: November 2020
Representing: North Carolina's Second District
Party: Democrat
In Brief
Congresswoman Deborah Ross is a civil rights advocate, a clean energy champion, a lawyer, and a proud citizen of Wake County. Sworn into the House of Representatives on January 3, 2021, she represents North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District.
Deborah came to North Carolina for law school at UNC-Chapel Hill and became an active member of the local community. She entered public service in 2002, when she ran for and won a seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives, where she served for over ten years. As a Representative, Deborah worked to protect voting rights, fund transit and transportation projects, increase access to affordable housing and protect and expand healthcare. Deborah was named as one of Wake County's most effective legislators for her ability to work across the aisle to deliver results for the people of North Carolina.
See Congresswoman Ross’ full bio here.
Key Quotes
“You can’t do anything by yourself and it’s so important to work in teams, to have a posse, and to be able to work on diverse teams, not just one team, because times change, issues change and if you can move among different groups and be trusted that is going to be the best way to get things done and it’s going to be the best way to make friends and have the respect of your colleagues.”
“If I can look back in two years and say yes, I had some great ideas and got some things through, on my own, that’s great. But if I can make every bill that I think can help our district a little bit better and focus it in on the people in the district than that will be a great accomplishment.”
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Bottom Line
As a former civil rights lawyer and state legislator, Congresswoman Deborah Ross brings a unique set of experiences with her to Congress that she hopes to use to help find practical solutions to problems North Carolinians and the country are currently facing.
As a state legislator, Ross was known as someone who was able to work across the aisle and get important legislation done. She credits this in part to her experience in the private sector as an attorney where she was given the opportunity to represent both large and small businesses. This experience has resulted in Ross being able to look at legislation in a very practical way, a skill she has brought with her from the statehouse to Congress. “It’s great to wish that things are different but when you really know the players and you know how things work, you can make a very valuable contribution,” said Ross.
Another important lesson that Ross learned while in the state legislature was that you cannot do anything by yourself and that it is important to work in teams to get things done. “You have to be able to work in diverse teams, not just one team, because times change, issues change and if you can move among different groups and be trusted that is going to be the best way to get things done and it’s going to be the best way to make friends and have the respect of your colleagues,” said Ross. This lesson will be key for Ross in serving her constituents during her first term in Congress and beyond.
For Ross, success in her first term will be focused on serving her district in the greater Raleigh area. “If I can make every bill that I think can help our district a little bit better and focus it in on the people in the district than that will be a great accomplishment.” Policy priorities for Ross reflect the diversity of her district and her professional background. From issues surrounding civil rights, diversity, equity and inclusion to clean tech and intellectual property, Ross hopes to look at everything through the lens of her district and use her platform as a way to not only help her district, but also the entire state of North Carolina.
At the U.S. Chamber we are grateful to have leaders like Rep. Ross who understand the importance of working with others to achieve responsible governing and problem solving. We look forward to working with Rep. Ross and all members of Congress to bring civility back into politics so that government can truly work for the people. It is time we get back to the business of governing, and we thank Congresswoman Ross for joining us.
