Carol Bush

Biography

This candidate does not have a Democratic opponent and will therefore serve as the next Representative for this district.

Carol Bush is a mom, businesswoman, community leader and tireless volunteer.

In 2016, Carol ran for state house with a desire to make a difference in her community. After beating the incumbent and winning the seat for District 70, she delivered an impressive track record in her first term as a legislator. Carol increased teacher pay, eliminated the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse, reduced the waiting list for developmentally disabled people to receive in-home services and voted for every small businesses bill, earning a 100% rating from the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

During the 2018 election, Carol’s leadership was endorsed by Oklahoma Realtors, Oklahoma ADAPT, Tulsa FOP Lodge 93, Tulsa Firefighters Local 176, Oklahoma Public Employees Association, the Tulsa World and more.

Prior to running for office, Carol served a decade as executive director of the Tulsa Crime Prevention Network, the non-profit that put police and neighbors together to make us safe.

Carol graduated from Oral Roberts University with a business marketing degree. She planted her roots firmly in midtown where she has raised a family, run a business and served the community. For 17 years she owned and operated several retail stores, before turning to public service within the Health Department.

Carol has amassed a long list of volunteer leadership roles. From advocating for our schools in the Parent Teacher Association, to working to improve community health indicators as chair of the Oklahoma Turning Point Council, Carol has never been afraid to tackle the tough issues.

A native Tulsan, Carol loves to cycle, travel and spend time with her husband, Jeff Harrison, friends and family. She has two adult daughters, Moriah and Nicole.

Platform Issues

Health Care

Carol believes we need to pass an Oklahoma plan for healthcare that allows the state to capture more matching federal dollars without expanding Medicaid. Low-income senior citizens, pregnant women, parents and children would all benefit from greater access to high-quality providers and healthcare.

Children

As chair of the Children, Youth and Family Services committee, Carol is leading the way to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Education

From her time leading the local PTA, to her vote to pass the largest education funding act in state history, Carol has always stood up for education, and she will continue to do so. Thanks to her efforts, teachers got their first pay raise in 11 years. In 2019, an additional $203 million was passed for public education, raising teacher pay to number one in the region. But there is more work to be done, and you can bet Carol won’t stop fighting for K-12 education in Oklahoma.

Fiscal Responsibility

Carol supported legislation to create the new Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT), which aims to ensure agencies are spending taxpayer dollars wisely and without waste. She will continue looking for opportunities to eliminate redundant programs, reduce bureaucracy and modernize systems and processes. For Carol, it’s not just about cost savings; it’s also about providing citizens with the right services in the right ways to produce the right results.

Public Safety

Carol knows crime. As the former head of the Tulsa Crime Prevention Network, a non-profit that put police and neighbors together to make us safe, she understands public safety is the most important job of our government.