[3] Prior to serving as Superintendent of Public Instruction, Douglas worked in accounting and financial analysis for several firms.

Douglas was the subject of a recall effort while serving on the Peoria Unified School District board in 2010 due to a conflict of interest.

Douglas was also serving as the treasurer of the axthetax.com coalition, which was opposed to a temporary one cent Arizona sales tax to fund education.

Douglas lost to Gary Sherwood in 2012 for the Sahuaro District of the Glendale, Arizona City Council by 330 votes.

[8] In the 2018 elections, Douglas lost her re-election bid in the Republican party primary despite being the incumbent, finishing third in a closely contested race in which the top four candidates all received approximately 20% to 22% of the vote.