Elaine Marshall
Elaine F. Marshall (born November 18, 1945 in Lineboro , Carroll County , Maryland ) is an American politician and the acting Secretary of State for the state of North Carolina . She is the first woman to be elected to that office and also the first woman to be elected to an executive state office in North Carolina.
education
Marshall studied textile engineering at the University of Maryland from 1964 to 1968 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science . During her college years, she worked as a camp site manager for the Maryland 4-H Foundation during the summers. After graduating, she taught for a year in the Lenoir County's public school system in North Carolina, then ran a book and gift shop for five years before returning to teaching at Lenoir Community College and Johnston Technical Community College . At the same time she was active in the Young Democrats of America , the youth organization of the Democrats .
She chose to study law at the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University and received her Juris Doctor in 1981 . She then went on to partner in a Lillington law firm in 1985 and became Democratic Chairwoman in Harnett County in 1991 .
Political career
Elaine Marshall was first elected to public office as a member of the North Carolina Senate in 1992 and represented the 15th district. She ran against Republican and former stock car driver Richard Petty for the office of Secretary of State. In January 1997, she became the first woman to be elected to a government office. Marshall was re-elected in 2000 and 2004 and 2008.
Marshall first applied for a seat in the US Senate in 2002 , but lost in the Democratic Primary to her party colleague Erskine Bowles . In 2010 she was nominated by her party against State Senator Cal Cunningham for the Senate election, but she was defeated by the Republican incumbent Richard Burr with 43:54 percent of the vote.
She was married twice, first to Solomon Marshall and then to Bill Holdford (2001-2009), both of whom died of cancer. She does not have any children of her own, but has five stepchildren.
Web links
- Biography on the Office of the Secretary of State , North Carolina website
- Brief introduction and columns at the Huffington Post
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Marshall, Elaine |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Marshall, Elaine F. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American lawyer, politician, and Secretary of State for North Carolina |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 18, 1945 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lineboro , Maryland |