Mary Gardner Belk
Mary Gardner Belk (born October 5, 1956 ) is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's eighty-eighth House district, which includes portions of Southeast Mecklenburg 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. 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 in  1974 and studied police science before dedicating time to raising her children. She later returned to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte 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.