Ruth Jones McClendon

Ruth Elizabeth Jones McClendon (5 October 1943 – 19 December 2017) was an American politician.

McClendon was born in Houston on 5 October 1943, and graduated from Phillis Wheatley High School before attending Texas Southern University as an undergraduate and earning a master's degree from Webster University.^[1][2]

She originally contested the open seat of Lou Nelle Sutton in 1988, but lost District 120 of the Texas House of Representatives to Karyne Jones Conley.^[3] Between June 1993 and August 1996, McClendon was a member of the San Antonio City Council from District 2.^[4][5] After Conley resigned her state legislative seat in July 1996,^[6] McClendon won a special election and was seated on 12 November 1996, succeeding a fellow Democrat and African-American in office.^[1][7] In all subsequent legislative elections, McClendon won no less than 85% of the vote.^[8]

She resigned from the state legislature on 31 January 2016,^[1][7] and died in San Antonio of brain cancer on 19 December 2017.^[9][10][11]