In 2008, she was elected to the Texas House of Representatives and served five terms representing District 145. She served as the Chair of the Urban Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations.

Now in her third term in the Texas Senate, Carol serves on the Senate Committees on Administration, Natural Resources and Economic Development, Nominations, Transportation and the Special Committee on Redistricting. Carol also serves as the Chair of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus.

Carol's primary legislative focus has been on economic development, public health and public education. She has championed legislation aimed at strengthening our state's workforce, helping small businesses succeed, creating tools to recruit businesses to relocate to Texas, regulating the use of e-cigarettes for children and criminal justice reform.

Carol is an advocate for women's health and reproductive rights and has passed legislation to assist victims of sexual abuse. She is also a strong advocate for voting rights and ensuring access to the ballot.

As a member of the Houston City Council from 2002-2008, Carol led the effort to make restaurants smoke free, stopped the shipping of more hazardous chemicals through our neighborhoods, and had air quality monitors installed in neighborhoods near chemical plants.

Carol is a native Houstonian and longtime resident of Houston's East End. She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Houston and is a member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church.