Tony Rand ends 27 years in Senate

FAYETTEVILLE (The Fayetteville Observer) — Cumberland and Bladen counties will be without their most powerful advocate in Raleigh, starting at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The office of state Sen. Tony Rand on Tuesday released his letter of resignation from the Senate, where the majority leader has been a formidable presence for most of the past 27 years. Rand, 70, a Fayetteville Democrat, has maintained since the surprising announcement of his departure last month that he wants to try something else.