R. C. Soles, Jr.
R. C. Soles, Jr. (b. December 17, 1934) was a Democratic member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing District 8. Soles was a state senator in North Carolina from 1977 until 2011. Before joining the state senate, Soles served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1968-1976.
He was the permanent Democratic Caucus Chair in the 2009-2010 session of the state senate.
Soles passed away on February 5, 2021.[1]
Education
Soles earned a B.S. from Wake Forest University in 1956 and a J.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Law School in 1959.
Committee assignments
While a member of the North Carolina State Senate, Soles served on the following committees:
- Appropriations/Base Budget Committee, North Carolina State Senate
- Commerce Committee, North Carolina State Senate
- Finance Committee, North Carolina State Senate
- Judiciary I Committee, North Carolina State Senate
- State and Local Government Committee, North Carolina State Senate
- Transportation Committee, North Carolina State Senate
Elections
2010
Soles did not seek re-election.
2008
On November 4, 2008, Soles was re-elected to the 8th District Seat in the North Carolina State Senate, besting Bettie Fennell (R) and Rachel Merrill(L).[2] Soles raised $815,067 for his campaign, while Fennell raised $178,742 and Merrill raised $207.[3]
| North Carolina Senate, District 8 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
 R. C. Soles, Jr. (D)
|
47,905 | |||
| Bettie Fennell (R) | 45,093 | |||
| Rachel Merrill (L) | 5,454 | |||
Campaign finance summary
Ballotpedia currently provides campaign finance data for all federal- and state-level candidates from 2020 and later. We are continuously working to expand our data to include prior elections. That information will be published here as we acquire it. If you would like to help us provide this data, please consider donating to Ballotpedia.
Home intruder incident
On August 23, 2009, Soles shot one of two intruders at his home. The injuries sustained by Kyle Blackburn were reported not to be life-threatening.[4]
Guilty of misdemeanor assault
In February 2010, Soles plead guilty to misdemeanor assault related to the incident and was fined $1,000. He was originally indicted on a felony assault charge, and if he had been convicted of that it would have disqualified him to hold public office. Blackburn had asked prosecutors not to charge soles with a crime.[5]
External links
- Official North Carolina State Senate website
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1996
- Senator Soles' State Surge
- Senator Soles' facebook
Footnotes
- ↑ The Fayettesville-Observer, "RC Soles, longtime NC lawmaker who died Friday, leaves complicated legacy," February 8, 2021
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2008 General Election Results," accessed March 25, 2015
- ↑ Follow the Money, "North Carolina Senate spending, 2008," accessed August 14, 2014
- ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch, "74-year-old N.C. state senator shoots, wounds intruder at his home," August 24, 2009
- ↑ Winston Salem Journal, "Legislator is spared term in jail," February 26, 2010
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ' |
North Carolina State Senate District 8 1997–2011 |
Succeeded by William Rabon (R) |
