Oklahoma House District 34 candidates focus on education
Oklahoma House District 34 candidates focus on education
Comments 
3
By Ken Raymond
Published: August 14, 2008
STILLWATER — Aaron Carlson and Cory T. Williams grew up in the same city, attended the same high school and graduated the same year.
Featured Gallery
Advertisement
About the Democrat
Williams, a Democrat, is an education advocate who wants to increase funding for and oversight of the state Department of Human Services.
"Funding for child welfare in this state is deplorable at best,” said Williams, 30, of Stillwater. "We need to be maximizing our efficiency even in that agency. They do a spectacular job, but there's a lot more to be done.”
Williams came from "meager means” to become the first member of his family to graduate from college. He earned advanced degrees, becoming a lawyer, and also teaches one business law class at Oklahoma State University.
"Education is important to me,” he said. "I want to get our public education up to par so we're no longer near the bottom in terms of child education issues. ... We can do so much better.”
He is active in the Stillwater Public Education Foundation, which raises money for Stillwater schools, and the Stillwater Community Health Center, which provides health care to the indigent.
He and his wife, Shannon, have one child, Kase, who will be 3 in October.
About the Republican
Carlson, a Republican, worked in various capacities with former U.S. Rep. Wes Watkins.
"I've looked at the people who have served this area in different levels of government,” said Carlson, 30, of Stillwater, "and I want to continue to build on the good work they've done.”
Key issues for Carlson include raising teacher salaries to the regional average, supporting CareerTech, encouraging economic development and improving prenatal care for Oklahoma mothers.
He hopes to establish an information line to help seniors find the support and services they need.
"I'm a big supporter of lawsuit reform and putting some limits on how much the trial lawyers can make,” he said. "We've all heard horror stories of people getting a huge pile of money on some lawsuit; they need to be compensated, but there needs to be limits.”
Carlson is an adjunct professor at the Stillwater campus of Northern Oklahoma College, where he teaches government classes. He and his wife, Jennifer, are expecting their first child, a girl they plan to name Abigail Marie.
His memberships include: Stillwater Rotary Club; OSU Alumni Association; OK Political Association; National Eagle Scout Association; and Stillwater Chamber of Commerce.
Although Carlson and Williams graduated from Stillwater High School the same year and have some of the same friends, they don't know each other well.
"Aaron's a nice guy,” Williams said. "I just have a different way of handling things.”
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).