North Carolina Senator Martin Nesbitt, a veteran lawmaker who ran for office to fill the seat of his late mother.

• Position: People & Politics - Brief article - Obituary

NORTH CAROLINA SENATOR MARTIN NESBITT, A VETERAN LAWMAKER WHO RAN FOR OFFICE TO FILL THE SEAT OF HIS LATE MOTHER and served 11 terms in the House and five in the Senate, died in March of stomach cancer. He was 67. Respected on both sides of the aisle, Nesbitt became Senate majority leader in 2009 and became minority leader when the GOP won control two years later. "He was a giant figure," said Senator Dan Blue, who got to know Nesbitt in the House when Blue was speaker and replaces Nesbitt as the Senate Democratic leader. "He had a sense of mountain populism ... and he sensed his major charge was to look out for the average, everyday person." Nesbitt died 10 days after he received his diagnosis and four...