Karen Carter Peterson facts for kids

Karen Carter Peterson, born on November 1, 1969, is an American lawyer and former politician. She served in the Louisiana State House from 1999 to 2010. After that, she became a state senator for the 5th district until 2022.

Peterson also led the Louisiana Democratic Party as its chair from 2012 to 2020. She was the first woman to hold this important position in the state party. In 2008, she became a Democratic National Committeewoman for Louisiana. Later, in 2017, she was chosen as the vice chair for civic engagement and voter participation for the Democratic National Committee. She resigned from her political roles in 2022.

Early Life and Education

Karen Peterson grew up in New Orleans. Her parents are Ken and Gwen Carter. Her father was the first African American tax assessor in New Orleans.

Peterson went to Mercy Academy. In 1991, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She studied international business and marketing. After that, she returned to New Orleans. In 1995, she earned a law degree from Tulane University Law School.

Political Career

Serving in the Louisiana House

Peterson was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 93. She served from 1999 to 2010. During her time there, she was the House Speaker Pro Tempore from 2008 to 2010. This role means she helped lead the House meetings.

In the 2000 United States presidential election, Peterson helped with the Al Gore 2000 presidential campaign in Louisiana. She was part of a group called GoreNet. This group focused on getting people involved locally and online.

Serving in the Louisiana State Senate

In 2010, Peterson won a special election to join the Louisiana State Senate. She represented the 5th district. She took over after the previous senator, Cheryl Gray Evans, resigned. Peterson was re-elected to full four-year terms in 2011, 2015, and 2019.

Leading the Louisiana Democratic Party

In 2012, Senator Peterson was elected to be the Chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party. She was chosen by the Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee. She won against the former chair, Claude "Buddy" Leach.

BOLD Political Organization

Peterson was supported by Jim Singleton, a former city councilman. He led a group called the Black Organization for Leadership Development (BOLD). With BOLD's help, Peterson was elected to the Louisiana state legislature in 1999. She represented the 93rd district, which includes parts of New Orleans.

In the state legislature, she strongly supported changes to the New Orleans public school system. She wanted the state to take control of it. She also helped lead efforts to combine many levee boards. This was to prevent problems like those during Hurricane Katrina. The goal was to improve how New Orleans' levee system was managed.

Congressional Campaigns

2006 Campaign

Peterson ran for U.S. Congress in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district in 2006. She challenged the current representative, Bill Jefferson. She finished second in the first round of voting. This meant she and Jefferson went to a runoff election on December 9, 2006. Jefferson won the runoff.

Peterson received support from some business leaders. She was also endorsed by the Louisiana State Democratic Party. Her campaign focused on the idea that New Orleans needed strong representation in Congress.

2021 Campaign

In November 2020, Representative Cedric Richmond announced he would leave Congress. He was appointed to a role by President-elect Joe Biden. Soon after, Peterson started her campaign to run for his seat in the 2nd district.

She received endorsements from important figures like Stacey Abrams and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Peterson got 23% of the votes in the first round. She then moved on to the second round with Troy Carter.

A campaign ad from Carter's team talked about a 2004 law Peterson supported. The ad suggested this law led to many teacher layoffs after Hurricane Katrina. However, this was not accurate. The 2004 law allowed a new state group, the Recovery School District, to take over struggling schools. Peterson actually voted against a later bill that allowed the district to take over all New Orleans public schools after Katrina.

New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell endorsed Peterson on April 7, 2021. Cantrell praised Peterson as a "fearless" partner who gets things done. In the runoff election on April 24, Carter defeated Peterson.

Political Views

Karen Peterson is known as a progressive Democrat. She supported ideas like Medicare for All, which aims to provide healthcare for everyone. She also advocated for changes in the justice system and police reform. Additionally, she supported laws to address climate change.

Healthcare Views

Peterson supported Obamacare and expanding Medicaid in Louisiana. She believed these programs were important for people's health.

Tobacco Taxation

Peterson generally preferred to limit government spending rather than raise taxes. However, she supported higher taxes on tobacco products. She wanted the money from these taxes to fund health programs. Her bill, the Louisiana Healthier Families Act, did not pass in 2009.

Same-Sex Marriage

Peterson supported U.S. President Barack Obama's view on same-sex marriage. She said that Obama showed courage and leadership in his statement. She believed his views changed because he saw the lives of his friends in same-sex relationships. Peterson appointed Stephen Handwerk, an openly gay man, to her leadership team in the Louisiana Democratic Party.

Evolution in Schools

In 2013, Peterson tried to change the Louisiana Science Education Act. This 2008 law allowed teachers to use extra materials to question evolution in science classes. Her bill to repeal the law did not pass. More than seventy Nobel Prize-winning scientists supported Peterson's effort to remove the state law.

COVID-19 Pandemic

In 2020, Peterson did not attend many sessions of the Louisiana State Senate. She was protesting because the Senate chamber was not following mask-wearing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control. She missed 85% of her votes that year.

Personal Life

Karen Peterson lives in the Warehouse District of New Orleans. Her husband, Dana Peterson, works as a political consultant. Peterson appeared in Spike Lee's documentary about Hurricane Katrina.

Peterson is Catholic.