John Carson is a Republican Colorado State Senator representing northern Douglas County. While serving in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1979 to 1985, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Colorado Boulder. He later received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Colorado Boulder, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in 1996. He worked as legal counsel for numerous congressmen and senators for more than a decade, including Colorado’s U.S. Senator Wayne Allard. He then served as the Rocky Mountain Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President George W. Bush, from 2001 to 2009. He served as president of the Douglas County Board of Education from 2009 - 2013, where he spearheaded several education reform initiatives, and was later elected to the University of Colorado Board of Regents. He serves on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
