Mary Gardner Belk (born October 5, 1956 ) is a
Democratic member of the
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Caroli ...
representing the state's eighty-eighth House district, which includes portions of Southeast
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg (; nds, label= Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schweri ...
County. 2017 was her first year in North Carolina House. In the 2017–2018 session, Belk served on the Transportation, Banking, and Justice and Public Safety Appropriations Committees.
Personal life
Family
Representative Belk lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. She and her husband, Ralph Belk Jr., have four adult children.
Her oldest son, Ralph Belk III, serves as her legislative assistant.
Education
Belk graduated from
Garinger High School
Garinger High School (sometimes referred to simply as Garinger or The G) is a high school located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
History
Garinger was in essence the relocation of Central High School, making it one of the oldest remaining schools i ...
in 1974 and studied police science before dedicating time to raising her children. She later returned to the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine coll ...
and earned her BA in political science, graduating with honors in 2006.
Public service
Before seeking elective office, Belk served on a number of community Boards, including the Dilworth Community Development Association, the Charlotte Catholic Foundation, the St. Patrick's Church Council, and the Democratic Women of Mecklenburg County.
Cancer diagnosis
In September 2016, during her first campaign, Belk was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery to immediately begin treatment. A positive prognosis allowed her to postpone chemotherapy until two days after the 2016 election, and she underwent radiation treatments during her first months serving in the General Assembly. Her office announced that she completed her final radiation treatment on May 18, 2017.
North Carolina House of Representatives
Committee assignments
2021-2022 Session
*Appropriations
*Appropriations - Transportation
*Judiciary IV
*Regulatory Reform
*Transportation
2019-2020 session
*Appropriations
*Appropriations - Health and Human Services
*Judiciary IV
*Regulatory Reform
*Transportation
2017-2018 session
*Appropriations
*Appropriations - Justice and Public Safety
*Judiciary IV
*Transportation
*Banking
*State and Local Government I
Electoral history
2020
2018
2016
References
External links
North Carolina General Assembly – Representative Mary BelkProject Vote Smart - Rep. Mary BelkFollow the Money - Rep. Mary BelkMaryBelk.com Official Campaign Page
Living people
Women state legislators in North Carolina
1956 births
21st-century American politicians
Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives
People from Washington, D.C.
21st-century American women politicians
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