# Ruth Samuelson

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{{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](/source/North_Carolina's_104th_House_district)
| term_start       = January 1, 2007
| term_end         = January 1, 2015
| predecessor      = [Ed McMahan](/source/W._Edwin_McMahan)
| successor        = [Dan Bishop](/source/Dan_Bishop)
| office1          = Member of the [Mecklenburg County](/source/Mecklenburg_County%2C_North_Carolina) 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](/source/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](/source/Charleston%2C_South_Carolina)
| death_date       = {{death date and age|2017|1|23|1959|11|4}}
| death_place      = [Charlotte, North Carolina](/source/Charlotte%2C_North_Carolina) 
| party            = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States))
| 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](/source/University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill)<ref name="17OCT2006"/>
}}

'''Ruth Culbertson Samuelson''' (November 4, 1959 – January 23, 2017) was a [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) member of the [North Carolina General Assembly](/source/North_Carolina_General_Assembly), representing the 104th district in the [North Carolina House of Representatives](/source/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](/source/Mecklenburg_County%2C_North_Carolina) 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](/source/W._Edwin_McMahan). Samuelson was elected with 67% of the vote in the election, beating [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) 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](/source/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](/source/Mecklenburg_County%2C_North_Carolina) Board of Commissioners <br/> from the 5th district|years=2000–2004}}
{{s-aft|after=[Dan Bishop](/source/Dan_Bishop)}}
|-
{{s-par|us-nc-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=[Ed McMahan](/source/W._Edwin_McMahan)}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [North Carolina House of Representatives](/source/North_Carolina_House_of_Representatives) <br/> from the [104th](/source/North_Carolina's_104th_House_district) district|years=2007–2015}}
{{s-aft|after=[Dan Bishop](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ruth Samuelson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Samuelson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Samuelson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.