Charlotte Observer Logo

The woman who broke N.C. political glass ceiling salutes Hillary Clinton | Charlotte Observer

×
  • E-edition
  • Customer Service
  • Advertise
  • Newsletters

    • News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Election
    • Politics
    • Nation/World
    • Special Reports
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Corrections
    • Columnists
    • Retro Charlotte
    • Your Schools
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Sports
    • Carolina Panthers
    • Charlotte Hornets
    • That's Racin'
    • High Schools
    • College Sports
    • Charlotte Knights/MLB
    • Other Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Inside the Panthers
    • Inside the NBA
    • Prep Insiders
    • Scott Fowler
    • Tom Sorensen
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • RNC 2020
    • Business
    • Banking
    • Stocks Center
    • Top Workplaces
    • National Business
    • What's in Store
    • Development
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Living
    • Religion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Family
    • Home & Garden
    • CLT Style
    • Travel
    • Living Here Guide
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • I'll Bite
    • Kathleen Purvis
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Arts/Culture
    • Events
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Restaurants
    • Music/Nightlife
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Rewards
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Kevin Siers
    • Letters
    • Submit an Op-ed
    • Submit a Letter
    • Viewpoint
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • O-Pinion
    • You Write The Caption
    • Taylor Batten
    • Peter St. Onge
  • Celebrations
  • Obituaries
  • TV Listings

  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Virtual Career Fair
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Place an ad
  • Mobile & Apps

  • MomsCharlotte
  • Carolina Bride Magazine
  • South Park Magazine

O-Pinion

O-Pinion

The woman who broke N.C. political glass ceiling salutes Hillary Clinton

Philadelphia

With Democrats poised to make Hillary Clinton the first woman to be a major-party nominee for president, the woman who broke a key part of North Carolina’s political glass ceiling said she couldn’t be happier.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, the first woman elected to a statewide executive branch office in North Carolina, said she felt a “wave of joy, excitement and satisfaction” on the day when Clinton secured enough delegates to become the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee.

“When one person breaks the glass ceiling, the light shines through and others can go,” she said.

Asked if she felt she’d ever see the day a woman claimed a major party’s presidential nomination, she replied: “I really believed in my heart we would. A lot of young girls would come up to me and say things like ‘Do you think there will ever be a woman president?’

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

“I always said, ‘Yes, of course.’ But in my mind, deep down, I always thought, ‘We’re not making much progress toward that.’”

Marshall got her political start in 1988, when she ran for the N.C. House. She was elected secretary of state in 1996.

Clinton’s nomination sends a message to all American women and girls, she added.

“It says you really can be what you want to be. It’s hard to explain to people that you can do it if you’ve never seen anybody quite like that. I’ve had that experience myself,” she said. “But when you see someone moving into that role, you say to yourself, ‘By golly, I think I could do that.’”

Eric Frazier

  Comments  

Videos

UNC's Tom Ross Talks Academics Vs. Athletics

Prep Basketball: Ardrey Kell upsets Olympic (again) in SoMECK 7 final

View More Video

Trending Stories

Mine shaft found under Charlotte house could be 150-year-old tunnel to gold

February 21, 2019 12:20 PM

NC judge throws out voter ID and income tax constitutional amendments

February 22, 2019 05:38 PM

Rick Siskey Ponzi scheme victims win final approval for payment of ‘major settlement’

February 22, 2019 02:59 PM

Did a wolf or coyote kill NC teacher? DNA tests say maybe, but experts disagree

February 22, 2019 07:44 AM

The moment of truth in the 9th District election fraud hearing

February 22, 2019 11:07 AM

things to do

Read Next

Republicans just released a 35-page ‘oppo’ report on this NC candidate. It backfired

Opinion

Republicans just released a 35-page ‘oppo’ report on this NC candidate. It backfired

By the Observer editorial board

    ORDER REPRINT →

August 10, 2018 09:46 AM

GOP tries to fling dirt on Democrat in NC House race but does the opposite.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE O-PINION

The Supreme Court and sports gambling: For better or worse, betting is about to go mainstream

Opinion

The Supreme Court and sports gambling: For better or worse, betting is about to go mainstream

May 14, 2018 12:26 PM
Why Charlotte must overpay for the Republican National Convention

Opinion

Why Charlotte must overpay for the Republican National Convention

April 27, 2018 04:31 PM
Georgia wants to execute a black man despite blatant racial bias

O-Pinion

Georgia wants to execute a black man despite blatant racial bias

September 26, 2017 02:58 PM
Is a thousand bucks too much for an iPhone?

Opinion

Is a thousand bucks too much for an iPhone?

September 13, 2017 09:06 AM
5 quick thoughts on Sarah Palin and today’s other news

O-Pinion

5 quick thoughts on Sarah Palin and today’s other news

August 30, 2017 10:01 AM
At Davidson, a study of policing, criminal justice and fake news

O-Pinion

At Davidson, a study of policing, criminal justice and fake news

August 22, 2017 03:05 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Charlotte Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story