Ross I. Romero is an American politician and Attorney from Utah.
Background
Ross was born in Pueblo, Colorado and moved to Utah with his parents when he was two years old. His mother, Anita Bruce, was an elementary school teacher at Indian Hills Elementary where she taught for 33 years. After his parents divorced, Ross moved to West Valley with his mother and step-father.
Education
He graduated from Highland High School in 1989 and graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Political Science. Ross decided that he wanted to get away from home and chose to attend the University of Michigan Law School.
Career
He currently is the Senate Democratic Leader. As a college student, he served as a Hinckley intern in Washington District of Columbia and that experience helped him realize that he wanted to be involved in public service. After graduating from law school in 1996, Ross and Cecilia decided that they wanted to start their family in Salt Lake County.
Ross accepted a job with the law firm Jones Waldo where he focused on business litigation.
He eventually becomes a partner in 2003. In 2007, Ross accepted a job with Zions Bank in their Government Relations office.
At Zions, Ross currently helps cities and governments with their banking needs. He became President of the Utah Minority Bar Association in 2003.
In 2004, Ross was elected as a Representative in the Utah House of Representatives.
When a vacancy in his Senate district became available in 2006, Ross was asked to run for the State Senate. He was elected with 64% of voters in Salt Lake County and reelected with 67% in 2010. Various interest groups have rated Ross positively with 100% scores, including the Sierra Club, Equality Utah, and Utah Education Association.
In November 2010, Senator Romero was elected as Senate Minority Leader by his Democratic colleagues.
He has used this leadership position to speak out for liberal causes. To date, Senator Romero is the only elected official in Utah to have contributed a video to the "lieutenant Gets Better" project, an anti-bullying campaign directed towards LGBT youth.
Romero became a candidate for Salt Lake County Mayor in September 2011. He focused on the environment, education, and economic development.
Politics
Utah Democratic Party, Democratic Party.
Membership
A Democrat, he is a member of the Utah State Senate, representing the state"s 7th senate district in Salt Lake County including the East Bench of Salt Lake City. Ross served as a member of the Salt Lake City Board of Adjustment, board member of University of Utah Young Alumni Board, a Salt Shaker with the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, and a board member of the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.