As a nurse, a mother, a small-business owner, and a wife, Renee Ellmers has succeeded in bringing a unique and diverse perspective to her work in Congress since her first election in 2010. In her first two terms, Renee has quickly established herself as a leading voice on healthcare policy, an outspoken opponent of Obamacare, but most importantly – she continues to be a leading voice on behalf of her constituents in the Second District and to the people of North Carolina.
After just her first term in Congress, Renee was honored to be named to the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee and is now proud to serve on three of its subcommittees: Health, Energy and Power, and Communications and Technology. In each of these subcommittees, Renee proudly provides North Carolina’s Second District a seat at the table while working to support conservative principles and improve our country’s overall well-being.
Renee has also had the honor of serving as Chairwoman of the Republican Women's Policy Committee (RWPC)—a caucus comprised of the 23 female Republican members in the U.S. House of Representatives. As Chairwoman for both the 113th and 114th Congress, Renee has steered this committee toward success— helping to unify their voice and highlight the leading roles and accomplishments of Republican women serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ultimately, Renee’s compassion for her hometown, Dunn, and for the well-being of our country was the driving force behind her decision to run for Congress. Before the 2010 election, she served as a registered nurse for over twenty-one years—initially as a surgical intensive care nurse and then focusing on surgical and wound care patients. She worked with her husband, Dr. Brent Ellmers, in their General Surgery practice located in Dunn, North Carolina. She never saw herself as a politician, nor dreamed that she would be elected to federal office, but felt the call to action as she saw her industry and life's work coming under attack. In 2009, she and her husband attended a town hall meeting on President Obama’s health care plan and left the meeting in fear of how a government takeover of healthcare would impact families, small businesses, and the 450,000 senior citizens who live in North Carolina’s Second District.
Long before Renee’s decision to run for office, she was a champion of community affairs and was actively involved in her hometown of Dunn, North Carolina. Renee was very active in the Dunn Chamber of Commerce, where she eventually became the Chairman-elect before her run for public office. Additionally, Renee served as Chairman of the Dunn City Planning Board, was a founding Board Member of the Betsy Johnson Hospital Foundation and was also a member of the Harnett County Nursing Home Committee.
To keep her “grounded,” and to ensure that the Second District remains at the forefront of her mind, Renee keeps a jar of soil from Harnett County placed neatly on her desk. Each time she sits down in her office, that jar of soil serves as a constant reminder of her end goal: to improve the lives and opportunities of the American People and to work each day to honorably represent the voice of those in North Carolina’s Second District.
Originally born and raised in Michigan, Renee received her nursing degree from Oakland University. Renee and her husband Brent moved to North Carolina following the birth of their son Ben and have resided in Harnett County ever since.
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