[1] She served 16 years as a member of the Marion County Board of Commissioners.
[4] She earned a PhD from the University of Oregon in Special Education and Community Resources in 1997.
[4] In 2000, Carlson ran for the Oregon House of Representatives to fill the seat left open by Kevin Mannix, who was running for State Attorney General.
At the time of the election, she was the treasurer of the Marion County Republican Party.
[4] After redistricting in 2002, Carlson ran successfully for the Marion County Board of Commissioners.