The New Senator 
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The son of a Presbyterian minister, Richard Burr has always had an aptitude for leadership and toughness. In January 2005, Burr stepped up to the new challenge of serving North Carolina as its U.S. Senator.

Richard Burr grew up in Winston-Salem and attended Reynolds High School. He was a good student and an even better football player. After graduation, he entered Wake Forest University on a football scholarship. However, because of several injuries he incurred while playing, Richard never attained his full potential as an athlete.

Richard met his wife Brooke at one of his fraternity events while in college, and the two married after they graduated. Richard started his 17-year career as a salesman with Carswell Distributing in Winston-Salem.

“I think the key to understanding Richard Burr is he spent most of his life as a salesman,” said Rob Christensen, reporter for the News and Observer in Raleigh. “He used to sell microwaves when they first started coming out to housewives, and he kind of has that low-key salesman personality. People who meet him say they like him. But he is also very good at explaining things. And whether it’s how a microwave works or Medicare works or how prescription drug programs work, he’s a very detail-oriented person.”

In 1991, Richard decided he would enter into the political arena. Concerned about his children’s future, he told his wife that he was going to run for Congress. He lost his initial bid for Congress but ran again two years later and won, entering with the 1994 class dubbed the “Contract for America” Republicans.

As a Representative, Richard Burr not only held a leadership post on the House Commerce committee, but served on the select committee on Intelligence and the Task Force on Terrorism. He also served on the Speaker’s task force on health care. While in Washington, Congressman Burr worked on legislation improving federal regulation of the food and drug industry, sponsored a bill offering prescription drug benefits to Medicare beneficiaries, and cosponsored a bill on public health security and bioterrorism preparedness and response. He has also worked on the tobacco buyout legislation and environmental issues surrounding the New River.

Even though his duties in Washington keep him away from his family the majority of the time, he still finds time to commute home every weekend. He tries to attend all of his sons’ sporting events and asks them for a play-by-play account when he can’t.

Richard Burr takes his place as one of North Carolina’s U.S. senators in January. His colleagues say it’s a move that is not shocking, and they feel he has the work ethic, confidence and ability to listen that he will need during the next six years.

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