Mike Ross (politician)

Mike Ross
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 4th district
In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Jay Dickey
Succeeded by	Tom Cotton
Personal details
Born	Michael Avery Ross (1961-08-02) August 2, 1961 (age 62) Texarkana, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Holly Hempen ​ ​ (m. 1983; div. 2021)​ Krystal H. Thrailkill ​ ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	2
Education	University of Arkansas at Little Rock (BA)
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Michael Avery Ross (born August 2, 1961) is an American businessman and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. representative for Arkansas's 4th congressional district from 2001 to 2013 and was his party's nominee for governor of Arkansas in 2014. He is currently the last Democrat to have represented Arkansas in the House of Representatives. He was also a member of the Arkansas Senate from 1991 to 2001, a member of the Nevada County Quorum Court from 1983 to 1985, and a small business owner.

On July 25, 2011, Ross announced that he would not seek reelection to the House in 2012.^[1] He instead became the Democratic nominee for governor of Arkansas in the general election scheduled for November 4, 2014. He faced the Republican nominee, former U.S. Representative Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas's 3rd congressional district, who had previously lost the 2006 gubernatorial election to Democrat Mike Beebe.^[2] Ross lost to Hutchinson, ending his undefeated electoral streak.

Ross is an officer and senior vice president at Little Rock-based Southwest Power Pool, which manages the electric grid and operates the wholesale electric market for all or parts of 14 states.^[3]