[6] Sansom began her career as a clerk at Creel Elementary School in Melbourne, Florida.

[2] In the 1970s, her husband decided to study at Florida State University and Sansom began asking around about jobs in Tallahassee, which was how she was hired as a press aide for the politician Clark Maxwell Jr., a position that she held for 10 years.

[1] She led the effort to pass legislation to stop sewage systems from discharging into the Indian River Lagoon and obtaining funding for The Haven for Children.

[4] In the 1990 general election, she beat the Democrat Gene Newberry to retain her seat, receiving 67.4% of the vote.

She then joined the Canaveral Port Authority as the director of governmental relations and public affairs.