DURHAM – Longtime N.C. House member Paul Luebke has died at the age of 70. Luebke reportedly passed on Saturday October 29 from complications from lymphoma. “Paul was a leader and servant of his constituents and to every member in our Caucus,” said Rep. Ed Hanes (D-Forsyth). “There was no subject to big or small for Paul. I always found it helpful to speak with him regarding procedure of the House, legislative history, and process when dealing with some of our more difficult matters. He was a bedrock of knowledge for us and will be missed.”Luebke was running for re-election for his seat representing Durham’s 30th district, which includes the area around Duke University. He announced in December of 2015 he was being treated for a re-occurrence of lymphoma. He served in the N.C. House for 25 years.”Representative Luebke was a dedicated servant whose long career in education and in the General Assembly reflected his undeniable passion for serving his district and helping the people of North Carolina,” said Gov. Pat McCrory in a statement on Sunday. “Ann and I join with people in Durham and throughout the state in mourning his loss.”Twitter was full of condolences for the Luebke family from both sides of the political aisle, include from Democrats Attorney General Roy Cooper and Senate candidate Deborah Ross, who served with Luebke in the N.C. House.Paul Luebke was a champion and a servant for North Carolina. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. Deborah Deborah Ross (@DeborahRossNC) October 30, 2016
The Durham County government posted that Luebke was a “true statesman filled with grace.”He is listed on the NCSBE’s sample ballots and Durham county Democrats will have to decide on a replacement for him in next week’s election. He was serving in his thirteenth two-year term, but was also a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Details of services have not be released.
