Edward Nelson Cole is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly

North Carolina General Assembly

The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...

 representing the state's sixty-fifth House

North Carolina House of Representatives

The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....

 district, which includes constituents in Rockingham

Rockingham County, North Carolina

Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 93,643. Its county seat is Wentworth.- History :The county was formed in 1785 from Guilford County...

 County.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina

University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...

 (1962), Cole worked as a manager for Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 until becoming an auto dealer in 1980. A resident of Reidsville, North Carolina

Reidsville, North Carolina

Reidsville is a city located in Rockingham County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 14,485.Originally established in the early 19th century as an outpost and stop on the stage line that ran between Salisbury, NC and Danville, VA called Wrights Crossroads,...

, Cole is currently (2009-2010 session

North Carolina General Assembly of 2009-2010

The North Carolina General Assembly 2009–2010 session first convened in January 2009. Members of the North Carolina Senate and the North Carolina House of Representatives were elected in November 2008.-State House of Representatives:...

) serving his eighth term in the state House. Cole has been active on transportation-related issues, sponsoring a bicycle safety law and being a member of several national transportation groups - the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Council and the National Conference of State Legislatures

National Conference of State Legislatures

The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan non-governmental organization established in 1975 to serve the members and staff of state legislatures of the United States...

standing committee on transportation. He is the co-chairman of the legislature's Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee.

Cole was defeated for re-election to his House seat by conservative independent candidate Bert Jones on November 2, 2010.