[1] Peterson-Rafuse earned a Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University in 1986.
[3] In 2009, Peterson-Rafuse successfully ran for the New Democratic Party nomination in the riding of Chester-St. Margaret's.
[5] On June 19, 2009, Peterson-Rafuse was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Community Services, Minister responsible for Seniors and the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, and chair of the Senior Citizens' Secretariat.
[7] On April 6, 2016, Peterson-Rafuse announced that she would be taking a leave of absence to deal with her diagnosis.
[9] For the 2021 election, Peterson-Rafuse endorsed the Progressive Conservatives for their proposed health care plan, citing her prior diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and the difficulties in finding adequate support.