Kay Hagan

Janet Kay Hagan (née Ruthven; May 26, 1953 – October 28, 2019) was an American lawyer, businesswoman, and politician. She was a United States Senator from North Carolina from 2009 to 2015. She was a member of the Democratic Party. Hagan was a member of the North Carolina Senate from 1999 to 2009.
Hagan became Senator after beating Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole in the 2008 election. She became the first woman to beat an incumbent woman in a U.S. Senate election. She ran for re-election in 2014 and lost to Republican challenger Thom Tillis in a close race.
Hagan died on October 28, 2019 in Greensboro, North Carolina from problems caused by encephalitis, aged 66.