What is Kay Hagan?
{{Infobox Officeholder |name = Kay Hagan |image = Kay Hagan official photo.jpg |jr/sr = United States Senator |state = [[North Carolina]] |term_start = January 3, 2009 |term_end = January 3, 2015 |predecessor = [[Elizabeth Dole]] |successor = [[Thom Tillis]] |office1 = Member of the [[North Carolina Senate]] |term_start1 = January 27, 1999 |term_end1 = January 3, 2009 |predecessor1 = [[John Blust]] (32nd)<br>[[John A. Garwood|John Garwood]] (27th) |successor1 = [[Linda Garrou]] (32nd)<br>[[Don Vaughan (North Carolina politician)|Don Vaughan]] (27th) |constituency1 = 32nd (1999–2003)<br>27th (2003–2009) |birth_name = Janet Kay Ruthven |birth_date = {{birth date|1953|5|26}} |birth_place = [[Shelby, North Carolina]], U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2019|10|28|1953|5|26}} |death_place = [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], U.S. |party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] |spouse = Chip Hagan |relatives = [[Lawton Chiles]] (uncle) |education = [[Florida State University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Wake Forest University]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]]) }} '''Janet Kay Hagan''' (née '''Ruthven'''; May 26, 1953 – October 28, 2019) was an American lawyer, businesswoman, and politician. She was a [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[North Carolina]] from 2009 to 2015. She was a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. Hagan was a member of the [[North Carolina Senate]] from 1999 to 2009.<ref name=U.S.>{{cite news|date=November 4, 2008|work=[[U.S. News and World Report]]|title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Kay Hagan|url=https://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/11/04/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-kay-hagan.html}}</ref> Hagan became Senator after beating [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Senator [[Elizabeth Dole]] in the [[2008 United States Senate election in North Carolina|2008 election]]. She became the first woman to beat an incumbent