politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Leftwich was a member of the
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Keith Leftwich. She was a key figure in the
2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation
The 2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation was a criminal investigation that focused on whether Oklahoma State Representative Randy Terrill (R-Moore), State Representative Mike Christian (politician), Mike Christian (R-Oklahoma City), and ...
for her role in a bribery scheme in which she was accused of agreeing to not run for re-election in 2010 in exchange for a state job with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME).
Early life
Born in Chandler, Oklahoma, Leftwitch grew up in Wellston, Oklahoma where she graduated from Wellston High School. Leftwich's interest in politics began in high school with various mentors encouraging her passion. She went on to attend
Oklahoma Baptist University
Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) is a private Baptist university in Shawnee, Oklahoma. It was established in 1910 under the original name of The Baptist University of Oklahoma. OBU is owned and was founded by the Baptist General Convention of ...
and the
University of Central Oklahoma
The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO or Central State) is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma. It is the third largest university in Oklahoma, with more than 17,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founde ...
.
Political career
She was elected in a special election on December 9, 2003 to fill the vacancy from District 44 left by her husband, Senator Keith Leftwich, who died of cancer in September 2003. Leftwich was re-elected in 2006.
Senate Committees
Leftwich remained in office from 2003 until 2010.
* Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary
* Business and Labor - Co-Chair
* Criminal Jurisprudence
* Health and Human Resources
* Transportation
Corruption
Leftwich was a key figure in the
2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation
The 2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation was a criminal investigation that focused on whether Oklahoma State Representative Randy Terrill (R-Moore), State Representative Mike Christian (politician), Mike Christian (R-Oklahoma City), and ...
.
Boards, committees and commissions
Aside from her service in the Oklahoma Legislature, Leftwich spent her time serving in a number of various organizations, including:
* Chair of the Oklahoma Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Advisory Committee
* Co-chair of Oklahoma Women’s Legislative Caucus
* Co-chair of Oklahoma’s Cancer Caucus
* Member of the Oklahoma Commission on Children & Youth’s Interagency Coordinating Council for Early Childhood Intervention
* Member of the Small Business Regulatory Review Committee
* Member of the Department of Labor’s Worker Safety Policy Council
* Governor’s appointee to the Oklahoma Health Information Security & Privacy Collaboration Steering Committee
* Member of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women
* Member of the SKIL Board
* Member of the League of Women Voters
* Member of the American Legion Auxiliary
* Member of the South OKC Chamber of Commerce
Personal life
Leftwich and her late husband have two sons, Kevin and Kurt.