The daughter of U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, she worked as a teacher and quality coordinator before entering politics, serving on the Harris County Department of Education from 2013 to 2019.

After her mother's death in 2024, she initially endorsed Sylvester Turner to succeed Jackson Lee in both the special and general elections.

[3] Before running for office, she was a regional quality coordinator for a nonprofit public health organization and a teacher in the Houston Independent School District.

[5] She went into a runoff with former Houston City Councilmember Jarvis Johnson, but voters were prevented from casting ballots due to a county error.

[10] Former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner had been chosen as the Democratic Party's nominee for the elections, with Carter and her brother endorsing him.