Norma C. Russell

{{Short description|American politician (1937–2026)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Norma Caldwell Russell | image = | image_size = 180px | office = Member of the South Carolina State Senate for the 8th district | term_start = 1981 | term_end = 1983 | office2 = Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives for the 90th district | term_start2 = 1972 | term_end2 = 1980 | district2 = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1937|8|23}} | birth_place = ''near'' Joanna, South Carolina, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2026|3|6|1937|8|23}} | death_place = | party = Republican | occupation = | spouse = Rodney J. Russell | children = | relations = | alma_mater = | predecessor = Tom Turnipseed | successor = David L. Thomas }}

'''Norma Caldwell Russell''' (August 23, 1937 – March 6, 2026) was an American politician in the state of South Carolina.<ref name="death">[https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/columbia-sc/norma-russell-12772618 Norma C. Russell] Dignity Memorial</ref>

== Early life and career == Russell was a freelance court reporter.<ref>{{cite web |last=Assembly |first=South Carolina General |date=1 January 1975 |title=South Carolina Legislative Manual |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kKUnAQAAMAAJ |accessdate=12 September 2016 |publisher=General Assembly of South Carolina |via=Google Books}}</ref>

== Political career == Russell served in the South Carolina Senate from 1981 to 1983. She served in the South Carolina House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party from 1972 to 1980, representing Lexington County, South Carolina.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Carolina Legislature Online - Search |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/query.php?search=DOC&searchtext=Norma%20Russell&category=LEGISLATION&session=0&conid=49056425&result_pos=0&keyval=1034062&numrows=10 |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=www.scstatehouse.gov}}</ref>

She was elected Senator of the Year in 1982.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/member.php?code=1613636170&session=104 |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=www.scstatehouse.gov}}</ref>

== Issues ==

=== Equal Rights Amendment === Russell politely responded by letter to a supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, stating her reasons for refusing to endorse.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Letter from Norma Russell to Virginia Lybrand, March 5, 1982 |url=https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/era/id/2020/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=digital.tcl.sc.edu |language=en}}</ref>

== Death == Russell died on March 6, 2026, at the age of 88.<ref name="death"/>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://localhistory.richlandlibrary.com/digital/collection/p16817coll21/id/6786/ Representative Russell with her dog in 1973] via The State Newspaper

{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=John Stroud}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina}}|years=1982}} {{s-aft|after=Thomas F. Hartnett}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Norma C.}} Category:1937 births Category:2026 deaths Category:People from Lexington County, South Carolina Category:Women state legislators in South Carolina Category:Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:21st-century American women Category:20th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly Category:Women in the South Carolina State Senate