Hamilton Cowles "Ham" Horton Jr. (August 6, 1931 – January 31, 2006) was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

representing the state's thirty-first Senate district, including constituents in

Forsyth Forsyth may refer to: Places Oceania * Forsyth Island, Queensland, Australia, one of the West Wellesley Islands (aka Forsyth Islands) * Forsyth Island, Tasmania, Australia * Forsyth Island (New Zealand), in the outer Marlborough Sounds of South I ...

county. Horton attended R. J. Reynolds High School from 1945 to 1949. He received his AB and

LLB Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the China, People's Republic ...

from UNC-Chapel Hill. He also served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

as a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

from 1956 to 1960. He also served for one year in the

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 North Ca ...

from 1969 to 1970. An attorney from

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

, Horton served a combined eight terms in the state Senate, from 1971-1975 and 1995-2006. He previously served as Chief of Staff to Senator

Jesse Helms Jesse Alexander Helms Jr. (October 18, 1921 – July 4, 2008) was an American politician. A leader in the conservative movement, he served as a senator from North Carolina from 1973 to 2003. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ...

from 1977 to 1978. He ran for

North Carolina's 5th congressional district North Carolina's 5th congressional district covers the central western portion of North Carolina from the Appalachian Mountains to the Metrolina western suburbs. the district borders Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina While the bulk of its ...

in the

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

election. He lost to incumbent,

Stephen L. Neal Stephen Lybrook Neal (born November 7, 1934) is a former North Carolina Democratic politician who served ten terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1975–1995). Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Neal moved to California, graduated ...

. Senator Horton had a cancerous kidney removed in September after the 2005 legislative session. He died of cancer on January 31, 2006, at age 74.

References

External links

North Carolina Senate – Hamilton C. Horton Jr.
, - , - , - , - 1931 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians Candidates in the 1978 United States elections Deaths from cancer in North Carolina Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives North Carolina Republicans North Carolina state senators United States Navy officers University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni University of North Carolina School of Law alumni Chiefs of staff to United States Senators {{NorthCarolina-politician-stub