{{short description|American politician from North Carolina (1959–2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = Representative | name = Ruth Samuelson | image = Ruth Samuelson.jpg | image_size = 180px | alt = Portrait of Ruth Samuelson | state_house = North Carolina | state = North Carolina | district = 104th | term_start = January 1, 2007 | term_end = January 1, 2015 | predecessor = Ed McMahan | successor = Dan Bishop | office1 = Member of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners <br/> from the 5th district | term_start1 = 2000 | term_end1 = 2004 | predecessor1 = Tom Cox<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=862249|title = Our Campaigns - Mecklenburg County Commissioner - District 5 Race - Nov 07, 2000}}</ref> | successor1 = Dan Bishop<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=862250|title = Our Campaigns - Mecklenburg County Commissioner - District 5 Race - Nov 05, 2002}}</ref> | birth_name = Ruth Culbertson | birth_date = {{birth date|1959|11|4}} | birth_place = Charleston, South Carolina | death_date = {{death date and age|2017|1|23|1959|11|4}} | death_place = Charlotte, North Carolina | party = Republican | spouse = Ken Samuelson<ref name="17OCT2006">{{cite journal | last1 = Morrill | first1 = Jim | date = 17 October 2006 | title = Fight is on to replace McMahan - in House District 104, Democratic Newcomer Faces Ex-Commissioner | journal = The Charlotte Observer | pages = 2B | location = Charlotte, North Carolina | publisher = McClatchy}}</ref> | children = Three sons, one daughter<ref name="17OCT2006"/> | alma_mater = University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill<ref name="17OCT2006"/> }}
'''Ruth Culbertson Samuelson''' (November 4, 1959 – January 23, 2017) was a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly, representing the 104th district in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2007 to 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nccppr.org/drupal/content/article-ii/legislator-reports/3943/2011-2012-report-for-rep-ruth-samuelson|title=2011-2012 Report for Rep. Ruth Samuelson - NCCPPR|publisher=|access-date=23 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315083647/http://www.nccppr.org/drupal/content/article-ii/legislator-reports/3943/2011-2012-report-for-rep-ruth-samuelson|archive-date=15 March 2017}}</ref><ref name="charlotteobserver.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article128167464.html|title=Ruth Samuelson, former lawmaker, dies at 56|publisher=|access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/BOE/data/Documents/general04.pdf | title = Mecklenburg County North Carolina November 2, 2004 Election Results | publisher = Mecklenburg County North Carolina Board of Elections | location = Charlotte, North Carolina | page = 103 | access-date = 12 November 2013}}</ref>
In November 2006, Samuelson was elected to the North Carolina House succeeding five-term incumbent Ed McMahan. Samuelson was elected with 67% of the vote in the election, beating Democrat Paula McSwain.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/BOE/data/Documents/general06.pdf | title = Mecklenburg County North Carolina 7 November 2006 Election Results | publisher = Mecklenburg County North Carolina Board of Elections | location = Charlotte, North Carolina | pages = 130–131 | access-date = 12 November 2013}}</ref>
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 term, after the 2014 elections.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/15/4390946/ruth-samuelson-says-she-wont-run.html | title = Ruth Samuelson says she won't run for re-election in 2014 | first = Jim | last = Morrill | date = 15 October 2013 | publisher = The Charlotte Observer | location = Charlotte, North Carolina | quote = Charlotte Republican Rep. Ruth Samuelson, one of North Carolina’s highest profile lawmakers and a top contender for House speaker, said Tuesday that she won’t run for a fifth term. | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131110144539/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/15/4390946/ruth-samuelson-says-she-wont-run.html | archive-date = 10 November 2013 }}</ref>
Samuelson revealed in June 2016 that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.<ref name="CLTOBSJAN232017">{{cite news | title = Ruth Samuelson, former lawmaker, dies at 57 | first = Bruce | last = Henderson | url = http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article128167464.html | newspaper = The Charlotte Observer | publisher = McClatchy | location = Charlotte, North Carolina | date = 23 January 2017}}</ref> Later that year she entered hospice care at home.<ref name="nsjonline.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.nsjonline.com/article/2017/01/samuelson-former-lawmaker-receives-hospice-care-at-home|title=Samuelson, former lawmaker, receives hospice care at home|date=13 January 2017|publisher=|access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref>
Samuelson died on January 23, 2017, at the age of 57.<ref name="CLTOBSJAN232017" /> A hiking trail in Mecklenburg County has been named in Samuelson's honor.<ref name="nsjonline.com"/>
==Electoral history== ===2012=== {{Election box begin no change|title=North Carolina House of Representatives 104th district general election, 2012<ref>[https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/06/2012&county_id=0&office=NCH&contest=1174] ''North Carolina State Board of Elections''.</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Ruth Samuelson (incumbent) | votes = 31,319 | percentage = 100% }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 31,319 | percentage = 100% }} {{Election box hold with party link no change | winner = Republican Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}
===2010=== {{Election box begin no change|title=North Carolina House of Representatives 104th district Republican primary election, 2010<ref>[https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=05/04/2010&county_id=0&office=NCH&contest=1023] ''North Carolina State Board of Elections''.</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Ruth Samuelson (incumbent) | votes = 3,489 | percentage = 83.03% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Jerry Drye | votes = 713 | percentage = 16.97% }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 4,202 | percentage = 100% }} {{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change|title=North Carolina House of Representatives 104th district general election, 2010<ref>[https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/02/2010&county_id=0&office=NCH&contest=1170] ''North Carolina State Board of Elections''.</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Ruth Samuelson (incumbent) | votes = 20,001 | percentage = 74.74% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Democratic Party (United States) | candidate = Frank Deaton | votes = 6,758 | percentage = 25.26% }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 26,759 | percentage = 100% }} {{Election box hold with party link no change | winner = Republican Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}
===2008=== {{Election box begin no change|title=North Carolina House of Representatives 104th district general election, 2008<ref>[https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/04/2008&county_id=0&office=NCH&contest=1177] ''North Carolina State Board of Elections''.</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Ruth Samuelson (incumbent) | votes = 29,349 | percentage = 100% }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 29,349 | percentage = 100% }} {{Election box hold with party link no change | winner = Republican Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}
===2006=== {{Election box begin no change|title=North Carolina House of Representatives 104th district general election, 2006<ref>[https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/07/2006&county_id=0&office=NCH&contest=257] ''North Carolina State Board of Elections''.</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Ruth Samuelson | votes = 14,668 | percentage = 67.03% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Democratic Party (United States) | candidate = Paula McSwain | votes = 7,215 | percentage = 32.97% }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 21,883 | percentage = 100% }} {{Election box hold with party link no change | winner = Republican Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Tom Cox}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners <br/> from the 5th district|years=2000–2004}} {{s-aft|after=Dan Bishop}} |- {{s-par|us-nc-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Ed McMahan}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives <br/> from the 104th district|years=2007–2015}} {{s-aft|after=Dan Bishop}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samuelson, Ruth}} Category:1959 births Category:2017 deaths Category:Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina Category:Politicians from Charlotte, North Carolina Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:Women state legislators in North Carolina Category:County commissioners in North Carolina Category:Republican Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Category:Deaths from ovarian cancer in North Carolina Category:21st-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly