Karen Peterson (Louisiana)
Karen Peterson (Democratic Party) was a member of the Louisiana State Senate, representing District 5. She assumed office in 2010. She left office on April 8, 2022.
Peterson (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District. She lost in the special general election on April 24, 2021.
Peterson resigned from the state Senate on April 8, 2022, to focus on recovering from depression and a gambling addiction.[1]
Peterson served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1999 to 2010.
Biography
Peterson's professional experience includes working as an attorney.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:editor@ballotpedia.org.
2021-2022
Peterson was assigned to the following committees:
- Joint Capital Outlay Committee
- Environmental Quality Committee
- Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs Committee
- Local & Municipal Affairs Committee, Chair
- Revenue & Fiscal Affairs Committee
2019-2020
Peterson was assigned to the following committees:
- Joint Capital Outlay Committee
- Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee, Chairman
- Revenue & Fiscal Affairs Committee
- Judiciary B Committee
- Local & Municipal Affairs Committee
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Peterson served on the following committees:
| Louisiana committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Insurance |
| • Judiciary B |
| • Local & Municipal Affairs |
2012-2013
In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Peterson served on the following committees:
- Insurance Committee, Louisiana State Senate
- Judiciary B Committee, Louisiana State Senate
- Local & Municipal Affairs Committee, Louisiana State Senate
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Peterson served on the following committees:
- Joint Legislative Budget Committee
- Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs Committee, Louisiana State Senate
- Finance Committee, Louisiana State Senate
- Health & Welfare Committee, Louisiana State Senate
- Judiciary B Committee, Louisiana State Senate, Vice Chair
- Local & Municipal Affairs Committee, Louisiana State Senate
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2021
See also: Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District special election, 2021
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
General election
Special general election for U.S. House Louisiana District 2
Troy Carter defeated Karen Peterson in the special general election for U.S. House Louisiana District 2 on April 24, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Troy Carter (D) | 55.2 | 48,513 | |
| Karen Peterson (D) | 44.8 | 39,297 | ||
| Total votes: 87,810 | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Special nonpartisan primary for U.S. House Louisiana District 2
The following candidates ran in the special primary for U.S. House Louisiana District 2 on March 20, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Troy Carter (D) | 36.4 | 34,402 | |
| ✔ | Karen Peterson (D) | 22.9 | 21,673 | |
| Gary Chambers (D) | 21.3 | 20,163 | ||
| Claston Bernard (R) | 9.8 | 9,237 | ||
| Chelsea Ardoin (R) | 3.4 | 3,218 | ||
| Greg Lirette (R) | 2.5 | 2,349 | ||
| Sheldon Vincent Sr. (R) | 0.8 | 754 | ||
| Desiree Ontiveros (D) | 0.7 | 699 | ||
| Belden Batiste (Independent) | 0.6 | 598 | ||
| Harold John (D) | 0.4 | 403 | ||
| Mindy McConnell (L) | 0.3 | 323 | ||
| J. Christopher Johnson (D) | 0.3 | 288 | ||
| Jenette Porter (D) | 0.3 | 244 | ||
| Lloyd Kelly (D) | 0.1 | 122 | ||
| Brandon Jolicoeur (Independent) | 0.1 | 94 | ||
| Total votes: 94,567 | ||||
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Candidate profile
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Louisiana State Senate (Assumed office: 2010)
Louisiana House of Representatives (1999-2010)
Biography: Peterson graduated from Mercy Academy and received a bachelor’s degree in international business and marketing from Howard University in 1991. Peterson then returned to New Orleans and received a J.D. degree from Tulane University Law School.
Show sources
Sources: Karen Carter Peterson for Congress, "About Karen," accessed February 3, 2021NOLA, "Karen Carter Peterson steers slightly left of Troy Carter in first Louisiana congressional debate," April 16, 2021; Louisiana Senate, "Senator Karen Carter Peterson," accessed February 3, 2021, Karen Carter Peterson for Congress, "About Karen," accessed February 3, 2021
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Louisiana District 2 in 2021.
2019
See also: Louisiana State Senate elections, 2019
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana State Senate District 5
Incumbent Karen Peterson won election outright against Allen Borne Jr. in the primary for Louisiana State Senate District 5 on October 12, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Karen Peterson (D) | 79.4 | 20,869 | |
| Allen Borne Jr. (D) | 20.6 | 5,412 | ||
| Total votes: 26,281 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
2015
- See also: Louisiana State Senate elections, 2015
Elections for the Louisiana State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on October 24, 2015, with a general election held in districts where necessary on November 21, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was September 10, 2015, at 4:30 p.m. CDT.[2]
Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article. Incumbent Karen Peterson (D) was unopposed in the October 24 blanket primary.[3][4]
2011
- See also: Louisiana State Senate elections, 2011
Peterson ran for re-election in 2011. She was unopposed in the October 22 primary. Because Louisiana uses a blanket primary system, a candidate can be declared the overall winner of the seat by garnering 50 percent +1 of the vote in the primary.[5]
2010
Peterson was not elected to the Louisiana State Senate District 5. She was instead appointed to the position in February of 2010.
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Karen Peterson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Karen Peterson did not complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Ballotpedia currently provides campaign finance data for all federal- and state-level candidates from 2020 and later. We are continuously working to expand our data to include prior elections. That information will be published here as we acquire it. If you would like to help us provide this data, please consider donating to Ballotpedia.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Louisiana scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2022
In 2022, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from March 14 to June 6.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to social issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to abortion.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on laws and policies related to sexual trauma and sexual violence.
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from April 12 to June 10.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from March 9 to June 1. The session was suspended from March 31 through May 4. A special session convened from June 1 to June 30 and from September 28 to October 23.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from April 8 through June 6.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from March 12 through May 18.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from April 10 through June 8. The legislature held its first special session from February 13 to February 22. The legislature held its second special session from June 8 to June 16.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from March 14 through June 6. A special session was held from February 14 to March 9 to address the state's budget gap. A second special session was held from June 6 to June 23.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from April 13 through June 11.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from March 10 through June 3.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from April 8 to June 6.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from March 12 through June 4.
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2016 Democratic National Convention
- Delegate to the 2016 DNC (click to expand)
- See also: Democratic National Convention, 2016
Karen Peterson Democratic National Convention, 2016 Status: Superdelegate State: Louisiana Supporting: Hillary Clinton Delegates to the DNC 2016 Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • State election law and delegates • Superdelegates by state Peterson was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from Louisiana.[9] Peterson was one of eight superdelegates from Louisiana. Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus to support a specific presidential candidate. Peterson supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.[10]Clinton formally won the Democratic nomination for president on July 26, 2016.[11]
What is a superdelegate?
Superdelegates in 2016 were automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, meaning that, unlike regular delegates, they were not elected to this position. Also unlike regular delegates, they were not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate, and they were not bound by the results of their state's presidential primary election or caucus. In 2016, superdelegates included members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, and distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. All superdelegates were free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.[12]
Louisiana primary results
- See also: Presidential election in Louisiana, 2016
Louisiana Democratic Primary, 2016 Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates Steve Burke 1.5% 4,785 0 Hillary Clinton
71.1% 221,733 37 Roque De La Fuente 0.4% 1,341 0 Henry Hewes 0.3% 806 0 Keith Judd 0.4% 1,357 0 Martin O'Malley 0.8% 2,550 0 Bernie Sanders 23.2% 72,276 14 Michael Steinberg 0.3% 993 0 Willie Wilson 0.5% 1,423 0 John Wolfe 1.4% 4,512 0 Totals 311,776 51 Source: Louisiana Secretary of State and CNN Delegate allocation
Louisiana had 59 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 51 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.[13][14]
Eight party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[13][15]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
As of this writing, Peterson was a Flemmings Fellow at the Center for Policy Alternatives, member of the Coliseum Square Association Board, Dryades Young Men's Christian Association Board, Kingsley House Board, National Association of Insurance Legislators, National Conference of State Legislators, Vieux Carre Alliance Board, and the Young Women's Christian Association Board of Greater New Orleans.[16]
See also
2021 Elections
External links
|
Candidate U.S. House Louisiana District 2 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Twitter, "KarenCarterPeterson," April 8, 2022
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "2015 Elections," accessed January 2, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Candidate Inquiry," accessed October 13, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Official Election Results," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Unofficial Election Results," October 22, 2011
- ↑ Louisiana Family Forum, "2014 Senate Scorecard," accessed July 11, 2017
- ↑ Louisiana Family Forum, "2013 Senate Scorecard," accessed July 11, 2017
- ↑ Louisiana Family Forum, "2012 Senate Scorecard," accessed July 11, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's list of superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention is based on our own research and lists provided by the Democratic National Committee to Vox.com in February 2016 and May 2016. If you think we made an error in identifying superdelegates, please send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.
- ↑ Uptown Messenger, “Majority of Louisiana’s Democratic superdelegates support Clinton; Gov. Edwards still uncommitted,” March 3, 2016
- ↑ To find out which candidate a superdelegate supported, Ballotpedia sought out public statements from the superdelegate in other media outlets and on social media. If we were unable to find a public statement that clearly articulated which candidate the superdelegate supported at the national convention, we listed that superdelegate as "unknown." If you believe we made an error in identifying which candidate a superdelegate supported, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
- ↑ The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
- ↑ Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
- ↑ Project Vote Smart - Rep. Peterson
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Louisiana State Senate District 5 2010-2022 |
Succeeded by Royce Duplessis (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Louisiana House of Representatives District 93 1999-2010 |
Succeeded by Helena Moreno (D) |
