Davidson News.net
Roberts says she’ll run for Congress in 9th District
Posted on 13 February 2012.
County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts announced Monday she plans to run for the U.S. House of Representatives from the 9th District. The seat is up for grabs with the departure of longtime U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, who announced last week she would retire when her term ends.
Commissioner Roberts is the second Mecklenburg Commissioner to announce for the seat, which will represent a newly configured 9th District. Also running is county commissioner and former Mecklenburg Sheriff Jim Pendergraph.
Districts were realigned last summer to incorporate the 2010 Census, and the ninth now will stretch from Union County north to south Iredell, and will include Davidson and Cornelius.
Ms. Roberts had announced in November that she wouldn’t run for another term on the county commission, but hinted that she was considering another race. In a statement Monday, she said:
“I believe that America is strongest when we all work together and I promise to work tirelessly to represent all of the people of the 9th District in an open, ethical and positive manner. Together, we will get Washington back to work as we get Americans back to work.”
Ms. Roberts is a Charlotte resident who graduated from East Mecklenburg High School, where she was valedictorian. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a coveted Morehead Scholarship. She later earned two master’s degrees – at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and University of Toronto.
She has worked as a high school mathematics teacher and college instructor, an international banker at Wachovia Corp., and as a foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department. She is the former executive director of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte.
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CL CHARLOTTE
Jennifer Roberts will run for U.S. House seat vacated by Sue Myrick
Posted by Joanne Spataro on Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts announced Monday afternoon that she will run for the 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican incumbent Sue Myrick will not seek a 10th term. Roberts, who will officially file in Raleigh on Friday, discussed a possible run over the weekend with her husband and two children. Her campaign manager and personal aide Henk Jonker said that she is ready to throw her hat into the ring.
“Jennifer has a great message that people need to hear,” Jonker said.
Roberts, currently the only Democrat in the race, is among a slate of Republican candidates, including Commissioner Jim Pendergraph and City Councilman Andy Dulin. The deadline to file is Feb. 29, so others may still enter the race. Historically, Republicans have been elected to the 9th District since 1952. Myrick has assumed the role since 1995. With Myrick’s departure, Roberts said she will run on a platform of fresh ideas, bipartisanship, and a plan for the future. In the past, Roberts’ passions have included civil rights, new business opportunities, and locally grown foods.
Roberts, a longtime advocate for women and the LGBT community, has spoken out against the anti-gay marriage amendment to the N.C. Constitution that’s up for vote in May and has supported educating voters about its negative ramifications on not just the LGBT community but also those in civil unions seeking workplace health benefits. Roberts also has been a proponent of public transportation, saying that creating transit projects is cheaper and more effective than building roads.
Roberts recently reflected on why she chose not to seek another term on the County Commission. In light of her announcement Monday to run for the U.S. House, it’s hard not to see her comments also relating to outgoing Rep. Myrick. “When you stay in the office too long, you get stale,” Roberts said. “You get too close to some of the power, further away from constituents; you lose the energy that comes with a new position, with having just gotten the mandate from the people and being there to represent them.”
As for the upcoming Democratic National Convention, Roberts said she believes it will be a showcase opportunity for Charlotte. “We want to put our best foot forward,” she said. “People are so generous in this community.”
FOX CHARLOTTE
Jennifer Roberts Announces Run for 9th District Congressional Seat
By Caryn Little
Story Created: Feb 13, 2012 at 6:30 PM EDT
CHARLOTTE, N.C.–Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts announced her plans to run for the 9th District Congressional seat Monday.
Roberts released the following statement,
“I believe that America is strongest when we all work together and I promise to work tirelessly to represent all of the people of the 9th District in an open, ethical and positive manner. Together, we will get Washington back to work as we get Americans back to work.”
Roberts is the second county commissioner planning to enter the race. Jim Pendergraph announced his plans to run last week.
This all comes on the heels of Sue Myrick’s decision to not seek a 10th term.
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WCNC
Jennifer Roberts won’t seek new commissioners term
by NewsChannel 36 Staff
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:10 AM
Updated Monday, Nov 14 at 12:10 PM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mecklenburg Commissioners Chair Jennifer Roberts said she won’t seek re-election to the board next year, according to a report from our news partner The Charlotte Observer.
Roberts said she planned to serve as commissioner for eight years and that time is coming up.
“I want to encourage new leaders to step forward to give them time to plan their campaign and their own quest for ensuring Mecklenburg County’s healthy future,” Roberts said to The Charlotte Observer.
