Ada Fisher, 74, dies leaving a legacy of service | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal. The author of this post is CJ Staff.

    A long-time leader in national and North Carolina Republican politics has passed away. Dr. Ada Fisher served as the RNC's Committeewoman for North Carolina for more than decade, elected in June of 2008 and re-elected in 2012. She died Friday October 7, 2022 at the age of 74.

    "The NCGOP family is saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Ada Fisher, former Republican National Committeewoman from North Carolina from 2008 to 2020," said NCGOP Chairman Michael Whatley in a statement Monday. "A lifelong North Carolinian, Dr. Fisher was a trailblazer whose distinguished life of accomplishment and service is an inspiration to all North Carolinians. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Fisher family and loved ones as they mourn the loss of this remarkable woman."

    Fisher grew up in Durham, N.C. and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She went on to University of Wisconsin for medical school and earned a Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. Among other work, she served in the U.S. Dept. Veteran's Affairs, and ran a health clinic in rural North Carolina. Fisher worked on the Republican presidential campaigns of George W. Bush, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Donald J. Trump. In 2016, she served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention and made the formal announcement that N.C.'s 29 delegate votes would go to Trump.

    "Dr. Ada Fisher was an incredible woman and an NCGOP institution who fought harder than anyone to support the party and advance conservative principles. Susan and I send our deepest condolences to her children and family," tweeted Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, on Monday.

    After retiring from her medical career in 1996, Fisher became involved in politics. She ran for U.S. Senate from North Carolina in 2002 and ran for U.S. Congress in North Carolina's 12th District in 2004 and 2006. In 2012, she wrote the book "Common Sense Conservative Prescriptions Solutions for What Ails Us." It calls for a return to fairness in public policy and recognizing the role of family and small business as the engine of society.

    Born in Durham in 1947, Fisher was the daughter of Rev. Miles Mark Fisher, a son of a former slave. Rev. Fisher was also a Republican, a scholar, and pastor of White Rock Baptist Church in Durham from 1933 to 1965. Later in life, Ada Fisher converted to Judaism. She won the Republican of the Year Award in 2018 in a ceremony where Rep. Ted Budd, Rep. Richard Hudson, and Sen. Tillis spoke of her commitment and passion. Fisher was a resident of Salisbury, N.C. where she lived with her two adult sons.