Senator Charlie Albertson

Albertson to seek another Senate term
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Charlie Albertson announced Monday he will be seeking an-other term in office.

Albertson, whose district covers Lenoir, Duplin and Sampson counties, made his decision well before the filing period, which opens Feb. 11.He has served in the Senate since 1993, preceded by two terms in the House of Representatives, and holds a number of key leadership positions in the Senate, including chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources.

"I have been blessed to serve these years," he said."It's been an honor, and I hope to do some more good things for the people."

Albertson said the state needs to do more to promote biofuels, or fuels derived from biomass, and renewable energy.He sponsored a renewable energy law last year to allow biomass , which covers any recently-living organic matter, including poultry and animal waste , to be used to generate electricity, and secured $5 million in the state budget to encourage the growth biofuels as an industry.

"This will provide new economic opportunities for our farmers," he said.

Albertson would also like to bring more educational and economical opportunities to rural communities to improve on what is already in place.

"We have a good community college and university system," he said."We need to continue to build."

Albertson grew up on a small Duplin County farm and still lives there today with his wife Grace.A veteran of the N.C. National Guard and the U.S. Air Force, he is a retired PPQ officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Also known as the "Singing Senator," Albertson is renowned as a country musician who has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and performed in more than 25 countries, and whose band received honorary certificates from the U.S. Department of Defense for performing overseas for members of the armed forces.

Charlie Albertson, D-Duplin, who heads the Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

"We're not doing the work there that we should be doing, that's a fact, and when you try to play catch-up it makes it even harder," he said.

Charlie Albertson
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Charlie Albertson of Duplin County.

He grew up on a small farm in Duplin, served his country in the military and then served the people of our state well in a career with the Department of Agriculture.Since then he has served with distinction in the North Carolina House of Representatives and the Senate.

Senator Albertson is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable members of the General Assembly in the field of agriculture.Repeatedly he has been chosen to serve as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee that has important policy-making decisions not only on agriculture but environmental and wildlife and marine resources as well.

He has been honored for his services by N.C. State University, the Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Defense Department and others.He was chosen by the U.S. secretary of agriculture for membership on the National Commission on Small Farms.

Albertson also is widely known as a professional musician, songwriter, publisher and recording artist.He performed many times on the Grand Ole Opry, TV shows and with the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree.

Amid all these activities, he has managed to serve his Presbyterian Church with distinction at home and throughout the Synod, as well as carry out a prison ministry.

Examined from every aspect, Charlie Albertson has the background, the energy and the character that would equip him well for consideration as service to his state as commissioner of agriculture.