Kay Hagan

Biography

Kay Hagan is a U.S. Senator from North Carolina and a former state legislator.

Early Life and Education

Kay Ruthven was born on May 26, 1953, in Shelby, N.C., to Jeanette Chiles Ruthven and Joe P. Ruthven.

Her father worked in textiles and tires and now develops warehouses in Florida; her mother was a homemaker.

She spent part of her childhood in Shelby and Charleston, S.C.

Her family moved to Lakeland, Fla., when she was four years old.

She graduated from high school in Lakeland in 1971, then went to Florida State University, earning a bachelor of arts in American Studies in 1975.

For six months after graduation, Hagan interned with her uncle, Florida Sen. Lawton Chiles.  

She then attended Wake Forest University, earning a law degree in 1978.

Family

While in law school, she married Charles T. (Chip) Hagan III, a Greensboro attorney.

She has three grown children, daughters Jeanette and Carrie and son Tilden.

Professional Career

After law school, Hagan worked for Nations Bank (now Bank of America) from 1978 to 1988. 

After her third child was born, she stayed home for a number of years. 

Political Career

Hagan served as Jim Hunt's Guilford County campaign manager when he ran for governor. 

In 1998, Hagan was elected to the state Senate from the 32nd District, representing Greensboro. She defeated incumbent state Sen. John Blust, now a state representative.

Her uncle, then-Governor Chiles, walked the district with her and then North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt. Chiles was famous for walking across Florida in a successful 1970 campaign for U.S. Senate.

Her father, brother Joe, stepmother Judy and classmates from Lakeland High stood in freezing temperatures at a polling place on Election Day. 

After redistricting forced out the three Senate budget writers, Senate leader Marc Basnight named Hagan and two other Democrats, Walter Dalton and Linda Garrou, co-chairs of the Appropriations Committee in 2003.

Hagan remained in the post until 2007 and served an advisory role on the 2008 budget.

She was ranked the 7th most effective senator by the N.C. Center for Public Policy Resarch in the 2007 session. 

Because of redistricting, she now serves in the 27th Senate District.

2008 Senate Campaign 

On Oct. 30, 2007, she announced she would seek the Democratic nomination to run against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole. Earlier in the months, she had decided against it.

In the primary, she faced Chapel Hill investment banker Jim Neal, Lexington trucker Duskin Lassiter, Moncure podiatrist Howard Staley and Lumberton attorney Marcus Williams.

After her announcement, former Gov. Jim Hunt endorsed her, as well as current Gov. Mike Easley. But while she had the backing of establishment Democrats, some netroots activists were upset, believing her decision was based on Neal's homosexuality. She later targeted online blogs for ads and other outreach efforts.

Hagan estimated it would take $10 million to run against Dole. 

In a video announcement on her Web site, Hagan said she would oppose the war in Iraq and support expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

She was endorsed by the state chapter of the AFL-CIO, the N.C. Association of Educators, EMILY's List, the Winston-Salem Journal, the Charlotte Observer, the Simkins PAC, the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, the People's Alliance in Durham, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker and U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield.

She defeated Dole in the November election, 53-44 percent. She was the third most popular candidate on the ticket, winning more than 100,000 more votes than Gov. Beverly Perdue or President Barack Obama.

Her win was named one of the biggest upsets in the 2008 election cycle, with some commentators calling her campaign the best-run that year.

Senate Term 2009-2014

In January of 2009, Hagan was sworn in. She was named to the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Commmittee, but she did not get a requested post on a banking committee.

Research and reporting by Ryan Teague Beckwith. 

Occupation

I have been working to help North Carolinians for more than 20 years. I am in my tenth year as a state senator, and I have served as Budget and Appropriations Committee Co-Chair since 2003. My husband and I raised our three children in Greensboro, and prior to my service as a state senator, I was very active in local community groups and activities. I was involved in health issues, political campaigns (Governor Jim Hunt’s campaign manager in Guilford County in 1992 and 1996), fundraising drives (UNC-G, Greensboro First Presbyterian Church) and my husband and I chaired the opening of the Greensboro Coliseum. 

Contact Info

Email: Senator_Hagan@hagan.senate.gov

Education

Military

Links