A member of the UNC System Board of Governors is looking to make a return to the North Carolina Senate.
Bob Rucho filed for election to Senate District 34 on Tuesday. A UNC System spokesperson confirmed that Rucho was still a member of the Board of Governors as of Tuesday afternoon.
Rucho asked Board of Governors chair Lou Bissette during a public meeting in January to explain why Bissette wrote an op-ed that some members of the board viewed as critical of their work.
Rucho was appointed to the system’s Board of Governors in March 2017 after he chose to not seek re-election to the Senate in 2016. He had previously represented portions of Mecklenburg County, but Rucho filed to represent portions of Yadkin and Iredell counties in the latest filing.
Rucho was one of the main architects to the legislative maps that have been ruled unconstitutional gerrymanders and were altered by a special master who was appointed by a federal court order. In addition to leading the redistricting efforts after the 2010 census, Rucho also served as the co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
Rucho’s term on the Board of Governors would technically run through 2021, if he is not elected to the Senate.
Rucho is one of four Republicans and three Democratic candidates who have filed for the seat. The primary elections will be held in May ahead of November’s general election.
The filing period closes at noon on Wednesday, February 28.
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