Karen Carter Peterson facts for kids

Karen Carter Peterson (born November 1, 1969) is an American lawyer and former politician. She served as a member of 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. In 2022, Karen Peterson resigned from the Louisiana Senate. Later, there were questions about how some funds from her political work were managed.

Early Life and Education

Karen Peterson was born and grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her parents are Ken and Gwen Carter. Her father was the first African American to become a tax assessor in New Orleans.

Peterson went to Mercy Academy for high school. In 1991, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Her studies focused on international business and marketing. She then returned to New Orleans. In 1995, she earned a law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from Tulane University Law School.

Political Career Highlights

Karen Peterson had a long career in Louisiana politics. She served in both the state House and Senate. She also held important leadership roles in the Democratic Party.

Serving in the Louisiana House of Representatives

Peterson was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. She represented District 93 from 1999 to 2010. This district includes parts of New Orleans. From 2008 to 2010, she was the House Speaker Pro Tempore. This means she helped lead the House meetings.

During the 2000 United States presidential election, Peterson helped the Al Gore 2000 presidential campaign. She was a co-chair for GoreNet in Louisiana. This group focused on getting people involved locally and online.

Becoming a Louisiana State Senator

In 2010, Peterson won a special election. This made her a state senator for 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 the spring of 2012, Senator Peterson was elected as the Chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party. She won against the former chair, Buddy Leach. She was the first woman to lead the state party.

During her time as chair, she encouraged John Bel Edwards to drop out of the 2015 Louisiana gubernatorial election. She hoped Democrats would support a moderate Republican instead. However, Edwards refused and went on to win the election.

BOLD Political Organization

Peterson was influenced by Jim Singleton, a former city councilman. He led a group called the Black Organization for Leadership Development (BOLD). This group often disagreed with another political leader, William J. Jefferson.

With BOLD's help, Peterson was elected to the state legislature in 1999. She represented the 93rd district in New Orleans. In the legislature, she strongly supported changing the New Orleans public school system. This plan would put the schools under state control.

She also helped lead efforts to combine many levee boards. This was to prevent problems like those during Hurricane Katrina. The bill passed in 2006. Before this, the governor chose levee board members. After the bill, local committees made the selections.

Running for Congress

2006 Congressional Campaign

Peterson ran for the U.S. Congress in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district in 2006. She was one of several candidates challenging the current representative, Bill Jefferson. Jefferson was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the time.

Peterson finished second in the first round of voting. She then went to a runoff election with Jefferson. Jefferson won the runoff. Peterson's campaign focused on the idea that Jefferson's issues meant New Orleans needed new representation.

2021 Congressional 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 announced she would run for his seat.

She received support from important political figures like Stacey Abrams. She also got an endorsement from the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Peterson received 23% of the vote in the first round. She then moved to the second round with Troy Carter.

A campaign ad from Carter's team suggested that a 2004 law Peterson supported caused teacher layoffs. This was not true. The 2004 law allowed a new state group, the Recovery School District (RSD), to take over struggling schools. Peterson actually voted against a later bill that allowed the RSD to take over all New Orleans schools after Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell endorsed Peterson on April 7. Cantrell praised Peterson as a "fearless" and "true partner." In the runoff election on April 24, Troy Carter won against Peterson.

Political Beliefs and Stances

Karen Peterson is known as a progressive Democrat. This means she supports policies that aim to improve society and help people.

Healthcare and Obamacare

Peterson supports Obamacare and expanding Medicaid. She believes these programs help more people get healthcare. She argued that some critics of Obamacare were motivated by unfair reasons.

Tobacco Taxation

Peterson generally prefers to limit government spending. However, she supports higher taxes on tobacco products. She wants to use this money 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 decision to support same-sex marriage. She said Obama showed courage and leadership. She noted that his views changed as he learned from friends in same-sex relationships.

Peterson also appointed Stephen Handwerk to her leadership team. He was the first openly gay man to be an officer of the Louisiana Democratic Party.

Evolution in Schools

In 2013, Peterson proposed removing the Louisiana Science Education Act. This 2008 law allowed teachers to question evolution in science classes. The Senate Education Committee voted against her proposal. More than seventy Nobel Prize-winning scientists supported Peterson's bill. They wanted the state law to be removed.

COVID-19 Pandemic

In 2020, Peterson protested against the Senate chamber not following mask rules. She refused to attend sessions and missed many votes. She was later criticized for still accepting her pay during this time.

Personal Life

Karen Peterson lives in the Warehouse District of New Orleans. Her husband, Dana Peterson, works as a political consultant. Peterson appeared in a documentary by Spike Lee about Hurricane Katrina. The film was called When the Levees Broke. Peterson is Catholic.

|