Mecklenburg Republican considering run for state treasurer | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal. The author of this post is Theresa Opeka.

    A North Carolina representative announced today that he is considering a run for the state treasurer's office. Rep. John R. Bradford III, R-Mecklenburg, said elected officials, lobbyists, and business owners were among those over the past few months that encouraged him to think about running after it was mentioned to him that Republican N.C. State Treasurer Dale Folwell's may announce his own run for governor.

    When Folwell made that announcement on March 25, it prompted Bradford to consider the move.

    While his primary focus is working on the state budget over the next several weeks, Bradford said he would "explore the possibilities of his candidacy very seriously" at the same time.

    "Over the next few weeks, I will not only work to help pass the state budget, but I will take some personal time to talk to my family, employees, supporters, and others to gain their insights and perspectives about my possible candidacy," he said in the press release. "I will make a formal announcement with my decision in the weeks ahead."

    Bradford, the business owner of Mooresville-based Petscreening.com, was first elected to the General Assembly in 2014. He was also previously employed as a sales manager and sales executive with IBM and as an environmental engineer with ExxonMobil.

    Bradford was the primary sponsor of H.B. 41, Hotel Safety Issues, which S.B. 53 replaced. It became law on March 17 without Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper's signature.

    S.B. 53 states that landlord-tenant rules, which make it more difficult to remove an occupant, don't apply when a person is staying at a hotel, motel, or RV park for fewer than 90 consecutive days.

    The rules normally apply for home and apartment renters, sometimes requiring legal action to complete evictions. The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association also supported the measure.

    He is also a co-sponsor of H.B. 219, Charter School Omnibus, and H.B. 420, Expand and Consolidate K-12 Scholarships, which would create a universal Education Savings Account to allow parents to pay directly for approved non-public educational expenses for their children.