Linda Coleman (born July 12, 1949) is an American

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

from the state of

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Coleman was elected to three terms as a Democratic state representative in 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 ...

before being appointed director of the Office of State Personnel by the governor in 2009.

Early life and education

She attended public schools in Greenville and

North Carolina A&T University North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black, land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Car ...

. She later earned a master's degree in public administration. Her first job out of college was as a classroom teacher.

Early political career and state legislature

Before serving 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 North Carolina House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, who holds powers si ...

, Coleman was a Wake County Commissioner for four years, and worked as human resources management director at the State Departments of Agriculture and Administration and as personnel director for the Department of Community Colleges. In the legislature, she represented Eastern

Wake County, North Carolina Wake County, officially the County of Wake, is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's List of coun ...

. Coleman was elected for the first time in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

and re-elected in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

and

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

. In her first term, she served as chair of her freshman class in the North Carolina House Democratic Caucus.

Electoral history

2018 U.S. House election

Coleman was the Democratic nominee for

North Carolina's 2nd congressional district North Carolina's 2nd congressional district is located in the central part of the state. The district contains most of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County. Prior to court-mandated redistricting in 2019, it also included northern Johnston Co ...

in the 2018 general election. She was narrowly defeated by incumbent Republican

George Holding George Edward Bell Holding (born April 17, 1968) is an American politician, lawyer, and former federal prosecutor who is a former United States Representative for North Carolina's 2nd congressional district from 2017 to 2021. He previously repr ...

2016 lieutenant gubernatorial election

Coleman ran for lieutenant governor again in 2016. She won the Democratic primary on March 15 with approximately 51 percent of the vote over three challengers. Coleman was defeated again by Forest in the November rematch.

2012 lieutenant gubernatorial election

Coleman ran for

Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina The lieutenant governor of North Carolina is the second-highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is the only elected official to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government. A member of ...

in the 2012 election, and had the backing of the State Employees Association of North Carolina. The ''

News and Observer ''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The paper is the largest in circulation in the state (second is the '' Charlotte Observer''). The paper has be ...

'' also endorsed Coleman, calling her "the better-qualified and more moderate choice." She lost the general election by a narrow margin to Republican Dan Forest.WRAL.com
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2008

2006

2004

References

External links

News & Observer: Perdue appoints Coleman to PersonnelCampaign site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Linda 1949 births Living people People from Greenville, North Carolina People from Wake County, North Carolina North Carolina A&T State University alumni University of Pittsburgh alumni 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American women politicians 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century African-American women politicians 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century American women politicians African-American state legislators in North Carolina Women state legislators in North Carolina County commissioners in North Carolina Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections 21st-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly