Longtime State Rep, ‘Texan of the Year' Ruth Jones McClendon Dead at 74

Former state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, who served in the House for 20 years and was named one of the Dallas Morning News' 2015 Texan's of the Year, died Tuesday. She was 74.McClendon was a longtime state representative, serving her San Antonio district in the House from 1996 until she retired in 2016. She announced in 2015 that she would not seek re-election after a battle with non-smoker's lung cancer. She used a motorized scooter to get around during the 2015 session. Her successor, Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, said McClendon died Tuesday morning at her home in San Antonio, the Texas Tribune reported. "I think she's best remembered by her candor, her ability to know what was needed in her community and to work with folks across the aisle," Gervin-Hawkins told the Tribune. "I am very proud to be part of what she's left, and hopefully I can carry it on."  Continue reading...

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