Candidate Biography (submitted by campaign):

Congressman Bob Etheridge is a native of North Carolina's Second District.  Born in Sampson County, he grew up in Johnson County and makes his home in Harnett County.  He is a former businessman and part-time tobacco farmer who is now a full-time public servant.  Congressman Etheridge was first elected to Congress in 1996 after serving for eight years as North Carolina's State Superintendent of Public Instruction.  Prior to that, he served for 10 years in the North Carolina House of Representatives where he was chairman of the powerful basic budget Appropriations Committee.

The Congressman first entered public service as a Harnett County Commissioner where he was instrumental in providing modern consolidated schools for Harnett County students.

Congressman Etheridge serves on the House Agriculture, Budget, and Homeland Security Committees.  He is chairman of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management of the House Agriculture Committee.  Congressman Etheridge has used common sense North Carolina values to guide his work in Congress where he has been distinguished by his career-long support of public education.

Congressman Etheridge and his wife Faye Cameron Etheridge are the parents of three children, Brian, Catherine, and David.  The couple has five grandchildren.

Congressman Bob Etheridge is working with our national leaders to support policies that will defend our values, protect our children and our families and get our economy back on track.  He is fighting to protect Social Security for senior citizens, to balance our budget and make health care more affordable.  He wants to build more schools for our children, support our First Responders, and provide a safety net for our farmers.

When Etheridge first ran for Congress in 1996, he promised to work hard and to always put North Carolina common sense values first.  One of his first votes after joining Congress was a vote to balance the federal budget.  Over the years, Congressman Etheridge has worked to provide tax relief to farmers and small business owners, to enhance public education, and to pursue economic growth.  He played a key role in the tobacco buy-out that has been so important to North Carolina.