Deborah K. Ross

Ross was hired as state director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Carolina in 1994. She worked on First Amendment and juvenile justice issues. Alongside Governor Jim Hunt and then State Senator Roy Cooper, she overhauled North Carolina's system for dealing with youth offenders. In response to racial profiling reports, she also successfully encouraged state police agencies to collect race-based statistics for traffic stops. Ross stepped down from her position at the ACLU in 2002 when she launched her state House campaign.[1][5]

On May 1, 2013, Ross announced she would resign from the legislature in June and return to the private sector to serve as legal counsel for GoTriangle, the triangle area's regional transit agency.[7] On June 1, 2013, Grier Martin was appointed to succeed her in the House.[8]

In March 2017, Ross joined the regional law firm of Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP in Raleigh. Her practice focused on the economic development, energy, utilities, and infrastructure needs of businesses and government. Smith Moore Leatherwood combined with national law firm Fox Rothschild, LLP, on November 1, 2018.

Ross was first elected to the North Carolina General Assembly in 2002 and defeated Wake County Commissioner Phil Jeffreys in 2004 to win a second term. She faced no opposition in the 2006 general election, and in 2007, Ross was first elected as one of the House Democratic Whips.

Ross supported the Equal Pay Act, an unsuccessful bill that would have banned North Carolina employers from paying workers differently based on gender.[9]

In 2012, Ross compared state coastal protection policies that ignore scientists' sea-level rise forecasts to burying one's "head in the sand." She said she was concerned that increased risk of flooding would lead insurance companies to charge higher premiums for coastal property owners.[10]

In 2015, Ross resigned from her position as legal counsel at GoTriangle to run for the U.S. Senate in 2016.[11] Ross won the N.C. Senate Democratic primary in March 2016 with 62.4% of the vote from a field of four candidates.[12] Ross has been endorsed by EMILY's List, Planned Parenthood, the North Carolina Association of Educators, the North Carolina AFL-CIO, American Association for Justice, End Citizens United, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democracy for America, and the League of Conservation Voters.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

In the general election, Ross ran against the incumbent, Republican Richard Burr. Ross raised more money than Burr for three consecutive quarters, but nevertheless had less cash on hand as Burr began the year with $5.3 million in campaign funds. As of October 21, Ross was down 2.8% in the Real Clear Politics average of polls. The race received national attention as Cook Political Report rated the race a toss-up and Democrats view the seat as one they could win.[22] Burr won with just 51% of the vote.[23]

On December 2, 2019, Ross announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina's newly-redrawn 2nd congressional district in 2020.[24] She jumped into the race shortly after a court-ordered redistricting cut the 2nd back to southern Wake County, including almost all of Raleigh. The old 2nd covered roughly half of Wake County, along with several exurbs south and east of the capital.[25]

Had it existed in 2016, Hillary Clinton would have carried it with 60 percent of the vote[26] and would have defeated Donald Trump by over 24 points.[27] By comparison, Trump had carried the old 2nd with 53 percent of the vote,[28] defeating Clinton by 12 points. On paper, the new map turned the 2nd from a Republican-leaning district into a safely Democratic district.[27]

With pundits suggesting that the 2nd was a likely Democratic pickup, Republican incumbent George Holding, who had represented much of the area for two terms in the 13th district before it was essentially merged with the 2nd in 2016, opted to retire. Holding stated that the significantly bluer hue of the new 2nd figured significantly in his decision.[27]

Ross won the Democratic primary for the U.S. House on March 3, 2020.[29] Ross won the general election over Republican Alan Swain and Libertarian Jeff Matemu.[30]

• Committee on the Judiciary[31]
• Committee on Rules[32]
• Committee on Science, Space and Technology [33]

• New Democrat Coalition[34]
• Democratic Women’s Caucus[32]