Dunn resident and former U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers has been named to a position in the administration of President Donald Trump in Atlanta.
The move to name Mrs. Ellmers to a position in the Department of Health and Human Services comes after she supported then-candidate Trump in his election win in November. Mrs. Ellmers lost her primary race in 2016 to current Rep. George Holding.
Mrs. Ellmers was scheduled to begin duties as the new regional director for the Department of Health and Human Services for Region 4 yesterday. The position is based in Atlanta and oversees Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Mrs. Ellmers said in a statement that her latest career move is an extention of the reason she ran for office in the first place. Her campaign in 2010, when she defeated longtime incumbent Bob Etheridge, was focused on the repeal of President Obama’s signature health care law. She was among a group of Republicans who voted unsuccessfully several times to overturn the legislation.
“After the 2016 election, I saw an opportunity to join the Department of Health and Human Services to serve the American people by helping the administration provide patient-centered, quality health care,” Mrs. Ellmers said.
Mrs. Ellmers, who worked as a registered nurse prior to her political career, also focused on health care issues when she was in Congress. She served on several health care-related committees during her time in Washington, D.C.
Her husband, Brent, is a doctor, practicing as a general surgeon. He practiced in Dunn, where his wife worked as a nurse in his office, for several years before moving to a practice in Goldsboro.
Mrs. Ellmers was the first woman Congressional candidate to announce her support for Mr. Trump and as a result was endorsed by the future president. He said at the time he needed Mrs. Ellmers help on key issues including defeating ISIS, securing the Mexican border and reducing unemployment. Courtesy The Daily Record
