Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

Senator Bill Purcell is a native of Laurinburg and attended public schools there. He graduated from Davidson College and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and served for two years in the United States Army Medical Corps in Toul, France during the Cold War days.

He practiced Pediatrics for 36 years. He served on the Laurinburg City Council for 6 years and as Mayor of Laurinburg for ten years.

He has been a member of the North Carolina Senate for over thirteen years. He is Co-Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee and Co-Char of the Senate Health Care Committee and serves on many other committees, commissions and task forces.

He has received numerous awards including the Distinguished Service Award from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. In 2007 in Washington, D.C., ABC News Correspondent George Stephanopoulous presented to him the Nathan Davis Award, which is the American Medical Association's highest award for a public official. In 2008 his fellow senators, lobbyists and state capital news correspondents voted him the 10th most effective member of the North Carolina Senate. 

I represent the 25th Senatorial District which includes Anson, Richmond, Scotland and Stanly Counties.

Jobs, educational opportunities, and affordable health care for North Carolina's families are my top priorities and these must continue to be top priorities for state leaders.

We are in the most difficult economic time since the Great Depression of the 1930's and my primary concern is finding jobs for the counties I represent.  Along with all other efforts, to compete for jobs we must have a well educated work force and that means kids must stay in school and we must all continue to support our public schools, our community colleges and our university system.

I believe that as the control of the General Assembly shifts toward the more urban areas of the state it is extremely important for the 25th District to have someone with seniority representing them as the next session of the N.C. General Assembly takes on the important task of redistricting following the 2010 census.

As we seek funding for our schools, our mentally ill and disabled citizens we can no longer tolerate rampant Medicaid fraud and abuse. That is why I introduced legislation to clamp down on those who try to fraud and abuse our fragile Medicaid system so that our limited funds can go to those who really need help.

In an effort to promote good health I have introduced legislation directed toward curbing our epidemic of childhood obesity as well as legislation that protects citizens from exposure to secondhand smoke in our restaurants and bars.

Serving in the Senate has been an honor and a privilege that I take very seriously. I look forward to working with others to make the right investments in jobs, education and public health and responsibility trying to keep taxes as low as possible.