Ruth Culbertson Samuelson (November 4, 1959 – January 23, 2017) 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 again ...

member of the North Carolina General Assembly, representing the 104th district 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 ...

from 2007 to 2015. From 2000 to 2004, Samuelson served as a member of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, representing the Fifth District. In 2004, she ran for an At-Large seat on the Board of Commissioners, but lost in a tight general election race. In November 2006, Samuelson was elected to the North Carolina House succeeding five-term incumbent

Ed McMahan William Edwin McMahan (born August 13, 1944) was a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's one hundred fifth House district, including constituents in Mecklenburg county. A businessman from Charlotte, ...

. Samuelson was elected with 67% of the vote in the election, beating Democrat Paula McSwain. She announced on October 15, 2013, that she would not seek re-election for a fifth term and would leave office at the end of her current term, after the 2014 elections. Samuelson revealed in June 2016 that she had been diagnosed with

ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...

. Later that year she entered hospice care at home. Samuelson died on January 23, 2017, at the age of 57. A hiking trail in Mecklenburg County has been named in Samuelson's honor.

Electoral history

2012

2010

2008

2006

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Samuelson, Ruth 1959 births 2017 deaths Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina Politicians from Charlotte, North Carolina University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Women state legislators in North Carolina County commissioners in North Carolina Republican Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Deaths from cancer in North Carolina Deaths from ovarian cancer