Ruth Samuelson

{{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
from the 5th district

| term_start1 = 2000

| term_end1 = 2004

| predecessor1 = Tom Cox{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=862249|title = Our Campaigns - Mecklenburg County Commissioner - District 5 Race - Nov 07, 2000}}

| successor1 = Dan Bishop{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=862250|title = Our Campaigns - Mecklenburg County Commissioner - District 5 Race - Nov 05, 2002}}

| 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{{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}}

| children = Three sons, one daughter

| alma_mater = University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

}}

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.{{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}}{{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}} 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.{{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}}

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.{{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}}

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.{{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 }}

Samuelson revealed in June 2016 that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.{{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}} Later that year she entered hospice care at home.{{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}}

Samuelson died on January 23, 2017, at the age of 57.

A hiking trail in Mecklenburg County has been named in Samuelson's honor.