+ − Contact Information
Phone: (512) 463-0454
Fax: (512) 463-1121
Office Address:
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
+ − Biography
Representative Stefani Carter serves as a member in the Texas House of Representatives from District 102. Elected in 2010, Representative Carter is the first Republican African-American woman to serve in the Texas House.
Representative Carter spent her childhood in Dallas, growing up in a large family. After graduating from high school, Representative Carter became a Longhorn, attending the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Journalism. Carter then went on to graduate from Harvard Law School and Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. While attending Harvard, Representative Carter wrote editorials for USA Today. Upon receiving her law degree, Representative Carter returned to Dallas and served Collin County as an assistant district attorney.
Given her prosecutorial background, Governor Perry appointed Carter in April 2011 to serve on the Crime Victims' Institute Advisory Council, which studies the impact of crime on victims and survivors, their families, and society at large and evaluate the effectiveness of criminal justice and juvenile justice policies, programs, and services related to crime victims and their family members. The advisory council consists of the Texas Attorney General and 16 appointed persons with knowledge of crime and law, including one member from the Texas House of Representatives.
Prior to election to the Texas House, Governor Perry had appointed Representative Carter to a six-year term with the Texas State Board for Educator Certification.
In the Texas House, Representative Carter was selected to serve on the Criminal Jurisprudence and the Energy Resources committees in the 82nd Legislature. Speaker Joe Straus also appointed Representative Carter to the National Conference of State Legislatures' Agriculture & Energy Committee.
During the 83rd Legislature, Representative Carter has been selected to serve on the Appropriations Committee and the House Select Committee on Criminal Procedure Reform. She has also been appointed Vice-Chair of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, a committee she served on last session.
Upon the conclusion of the 82nd session, Representative Carter was recognized by several outlets for her legislative performance. She received the prestigious 2011 Taxpayer Champion award, which is the top accolade awarded by the Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. The award is given to those who earned an exemplary rating, or "A" rating, for exhibiting high fiscal austerity and for promoting free enterprise issues during the 82nd Legislative Session. Representative Carter was one of only 28 House members to be awarded this distinction. In addition, she received an Honorable Mention by Capitol Inside's "Best of the Legislature" list for being one of the top-performing freshman representatives during the 82nd Legislature. She was also named the thirty-second most conservative member of the Texas House of Representatives, according to a study conducted by researchers at Rice University.
Carter has been recognized for her achievements through multiple media outlets including a cover story in The Dallas Morning News tabloid "Quick," two 2008 FOX broadcasts, a 2005 CNN broadcast, a profile in the Society for Professional Journalists magazine, and articles in several local newspapers.
During the 2012 presidential election, Representative Carter served as a media surrogate for the Romney/Ryan campaign. Romney for President appointed Carter to the Black Leadership Council. Representative Carter then attended the Republican National Convention and was invited to the Democratic National Convention on behalf of the campaign. The Black Leadership Council helps facilitate dialogue between Mitt Romney, his campaign, and respected leaders who provide unique expertise, experience and knowledge on a range of issues impacting black American communities.
Representative Carter is a member of the House Republican Caucus. When she is back home, she enjoys spending time with her mother and father and her five siblings, who reside in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.
During the 83rd Legislature, Representative Carter has been selected to serve on the Appropriations Committee and the House Select Committee on Criminal Procedure Reform. She has also been appointed Vice-Chair of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, a committee she served on last session. Representative Carter is Vice-Chair of the Texas House Energy Caucus.