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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| <- |
2013-01-01 |
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| Name | Brad Carson |
| Address |
Claremore, Oklahoma , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
March 11, 1967
(57 years)
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| Contributor | Ralphie |
| Last Modifed | RBH
May 12, 2019 02:07am |
| Tags |
Caucasian - Native American - Married - Christian - Straight -
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| Info | An Oklahoma Leader
A 6th generation Oklahoman (born March 11th, 1967), Brad Carson and his family have played a role in Oklahoma history from the beginning. His mother's family came to the state on the Trail of Tears and settled in the county that came to bear their name ? Adair. Brad was a top student at Jenks High School and won a National Merit Scholarship to attend Baylor University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to become the first student at this Baptist University to win a Rhodes Scholarship in 75 years. With the Rhodes, Brad went to Oxford and earned a master's degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. He came home to attend the University of Oklahoma law school, graduating at the top of his class. Brad's dedication to the state of Oklahoma was apparent in his career from the beginning: after law school he devoted one-third of his time to free representation of poor and indigent clients. Because of his work on behalf of low-income people, he was awarded the 1996 Exceptional Contribution to Legal Services Award by Legal Services of Eastern Oklahoma.
In 1997 Brad Carson was selected as a White House Fellow, where he was assigned to the Pentagon as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. Congressman Carson has seen first hand that the United States must have a strong national defense and must protect its citizens from global terrorism. He strongly supports American troops overseas and at home, and has visited many bases in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Bosnia, Turkey, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He has pledged to work to protect our troops and make sure that these brave men and women have the tools they need to do their jobs.
When the Congressional seat for the Second District of Oklahoma opened in 2000, Brad Carson decided he couldn?t let the opportunity to serve the people of Oklahoma pass him by. He was a newlywed with no personal wealth to finance his campaign, and he was virtually unknown in political circles. But Brad was willing to bet against the odds. He got in his old Ford F-150 pickup and drove himself from small town to small town on the campaign trail. Brad's hard work and belief that powerful ideas beat powerful friends paid off ? he was elected with 55% of the vote as the Congressman for the Second District of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma's Congressman
Brad?s hard work in the House of Representatives earned him even greater respect from Oklahomans. Congressman Carson was re-elected to office in 2002 with 74% of the vote, the second highest margin in the history of the Second District. Brad is an enrolled tribal member of the Cherokee Nation and represents a district with one of the highest populations of Native Americans in the country. Currently serving on the Transportation and Resources Committee, he has brought crucial federal dollars back to the state of Oklahoma to improve roads, bridges, rural health care centers, and even paved the way for a world class Native American museum in Oklahoma City.
As a Congressman, Brad Carson pledged to fight for Oklahoma values. His has been a strong voice for children, working families and seniors. During his time in office he has dedicated himself to reforming the quality of care in nursing homes, solving the Tar Creek environmental disaster, providing a prescription drug benefit that really helps seniors, and ensuring that Oklahoma receives its fair share of federal funding for education, infrastructure and economic development.
Congressman Carson's record has been commended by groups across the political spectrum. Several leading Washington, D.C. publications have noted his "centrist" voting record, and he has also been applauded by members of both parties, including President Bush, for his ability to reach across the aisle and move past partisan rancor. During his first term, Congressman Carson's bipartisan approach proved effective and he was one of only two first-term lawmakers to get two pieces of legislation passed. In 2002, he was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees), an award recognizing leadership and service ? in the past the award has been given to President Kennedy and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Oklahoma's Candidate for Senate
Perhaps most importantly, Congressman Carson is an Oklahoman who believes in the state and its people. He has always believed that first and foremost he is a member of the "Oklahoma Party": "When I talk to groups, high school kids or college kids, they ask that question: 'Are you voting your conscience or are you voting what the people would do?' And I say that's a false distinction. For me, to believe in democratic politics, to believe in democracy, is to have faith that people know what's right for themselves. And that's the thing that's always guided me. The collective wisdom of all the farmers and small business people and schoolteachers and stay-at-home moms and preachers and day laborers is really profound. And if they feel so passionate about it and disagree with something that's my first impression, then I need to rethink where I am. Because I trust the people to know what's going on.
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