Karen Carter Peterson
| Karen Ruth Carter Peterson | |
 | |
Louisiana State Senator for District 5 (parts of Carrollton, the Garden District, Mid-City New Orleans,
Uptown New Orleans, and a small portion of Jefferson Parish) | |
| In office March 9, 2010 – April 9, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Cheryl Gray Evans |
|---|---|
Louisiana State Representative for District 93 in Orleans Parish
| |
| In office March 9, 1999 – March 8, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Avery Alexander |
| Succeeded by | Helena Moreno |
Chairman of the
Louisiana Democratic Party | |
| In office April 28, 2012 – September 12, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Anthony Claude "Buddy" Leach, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Katie Bernhardt |
| Born | November 1, 1969 New Orleans, Louisiana. |
| Spouse(s) | Dana Peterson No children |
| Alma mater | Howard University (Bachelor of Arts) Tulane University (Juris Doctorate)[1] |
Karen Ruth Carter Peterson (born November 1, 1969) is an African-American attorney and politician from her native New Orleans, Louisiana, who served as a state representative from 1999 to 2010 and then as the District 4 state senator from 2010 until her sudden resignation on April 9, 2022. From 2012 to 2020, she was the chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party, the first female to hold that position.[2]
Peterson is also a former Democratic National Committeewoman for Louisiana. In 2017, she was elected vice chairman of civic engagement and voter participation for the Democratic National Committee.[3] Her former state Senate district has just 10 percent of voters registered as Republican.
Peterson is the daughter of Ken and Gwen Carter. Her father was the first black to become a tax assessor in New Orleans. Peterson graduated from Mercy Academy and in 1991 received a Bachelor of Arts degree in international business and marketing from the historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C. Peterson then returned to New Orleans to earn a Juris Doctor from Tulane University in 1995.[4]
On June 8, 2017, Peterson hurled an obscenity at Representative Dodie Horton, a conservative Republican from Bossier Parish, after Horton asked a group of senators present on thestate House floor to stop talking so that the budget proceedings being considered could start.[5] Peterson later apologized for her verbal attack.[6]
Early in 2021, Peterson ran unsuccessfully in the 2nd congressional district to fill the seat vacated by the black liberal fellow Democrat Cedric Richmond, who left the U.S. House to join the Joe Biden administration. Peterson lost out to another black liberal, Troy Carter.
Despite her success in Louisiana politics, Peterson resigned her state Senate seat because of depression amid a long-term addiction to gambling.[7] On January 11, 2023, Peterson was sentenced to twenty-two months in prison after pleading guilty to federal wire fraud. She blamed her predicament on poor mental health and her struggles with a gambling addiction. A federal probe claimed that she had stolen campaign funds for personal gambling. She confessed in August 2022 to the theft of $140,000 from her 2019 reelection campaign.[8]
References
- ↑ Karen Carter Peterson could make Louisiana history with run for Congress (February 26, 2021).
- ↑ Karen Carter Peterson ousts Buddy Leach as leader of Louisiana Democratic Party. The New Orleans Times-Picayune (February 19, 2012). Retrieved on April 18, 2022.
- ↑ Karen Carter Peterson: Vice Chair of Civic Engagement and Voter Protection. Retrieved on April 18, 2022.
- ↑ Louisiana State Senate - Karen Carter Peterson's Biography.
- ↑ Greg Hilburn (June 12, 2017). Civility takes backseat: 'Sit down and shut up'. Monroe News Star. Retrieved on March 20, 2022.
- ↑ Louisiana Senator Tells Dodie Horton of Haughton to .... KEEL Radio (June 9, 2017). Retrieved on March 20, 2022.
- ↑ State Sen. Karen Peterson, who resigned abruptly Friday, is subject of federal probe | Local Politics | nola.com, accessed April 19, 2022.
- ↑ John Symank (January 11, 2023). Former Louisiana Democratic Party Chair Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison Over Wire Fraud. resistthemainstream.com. Retrieved on January 13, 2023.
