NAME: Bill Cook
AGE: 66
HOME: Beaufort County
OCCUPATION: Retired, analyst/departmental manager with Potomac Electric Power Company
EDUCATION: Graduated from the  University of Maryland with a degree in business administration
FAMILY: wife, Holly; son, Billy, daughter, Kerri; granddaughters, Calli and Adelade
RESIDENT: Has lived in Beaufort County for seven years
LAST BOOK READ: “Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America” by Ann Coulter
EXPERIENCE AS ELECTED OFFICIAL: Was elected to the N.C. House of Representatives, District 6, in 2010. Cook has served on the following committees while in office: Military Affairs (co-chair), IT, Public Utilities (co-chair), Appropriations, Agriculture and Re-districting.
OTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Cook has previously served as treasurer of the Down East Republican Club, finance director of the Beaufort County Republican Party, chairman of Cypress Landing Tennis Committee, commissioner for the Mid-East Regional Housing Authority and is a member of Beaufort County Committee of 100.

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If you’ve already voted at the Beaufort County Board of Elections office, chances are you’ve met N.C. Rep. Bill Cook. Cook has his eye on the N.C. Senate this election year.
Cook makes his home in Cypress Landing, having retired to eastern North Carolina after 34 years with Potomac Electric Power Company in Virginia. He’s no stranger to North Carolina, however: both his parents hail from the Piedmont, and Cook spent many summers in the state.
“I always loved North Carolina,” said Cook, adding that when it came time to retire, he naturally gravitated south. “I thought, ‘Gee, I couldn’t do much better than North Carolina,’” Cook recalled.
For Cook, the issues of the day revolve around the economy and jobs.
“Economy and jobs — they’re almost the same issue in my mind,” Cook said. “If we can get small business growing and prospering, we’ll be able to lower the unemployment rate in North Carolina.”
Cook looks forward to promoting a conservative agenda if elected to the N.C. Senate.
“That’s going to include a lot of good stuff — we’re going to continue to ‘right-size’ the government in North Carolina,” Cook explained. “We’re going to continue to promote small business, continue to improve our schools with innovative technique and improvements.”
Cook made an appearance on the PBS show “Frontline” last week in a feature: “Climate of Doubt: Frontline investigates how climate skeptics mobilized, built their argument and undermined public acceptance of a global scientific consensus.”
Cook maintains that he does believe in global warming, but as a natural occurrence, and he points to 15,000-year and 100,000-year cycles as evidence.
“It’s the height of hubris to think mankind, at this point, can substantially affect those changes in the climates,” Cook said. “Compared to the affects of the sun on the earth? We’re still small potatoes.”
Cook said he’s thankful for all the good help he’s gotten in his bid for N.C. Senate.
“I’m fortunate to have any good folks helping me in the campaign,” he said.