Carolyn Rexroat Warner (August 2, 1930 – October 9, 2018) was an American politician who served as the 15th Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, from 1975 to 1987. Warner was the Democratic nominee for

Governor of Arizona A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...

, but was defeated by then-State Senator

Evan Mecham Evan Mecham ( ; May 12, 1924 – February 21, 2008) was an American businessman and the 17th governor of Arizona, serving from January 5, 1987, until his impeachment conviction on April 4, 1988. A decorated veteran of World War II, Mecham was a ...

, who would go on to be impeached. In addition to running for governor, Warner also ran for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

, but lost the primary, and was elected Democratic National Committeewoman for Arizona in 2004 and 2008. Warner ran a consulting firm called Corporate Education Consulting after leaving public office.

Early life

Carolyn Warner was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, to Democratic State Senator Uriah Thomas Rexroat and Mary Tullis. In her youth, Warner attended the inauguration of

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

, and danced with the President at one of his Inaugural balls.

Political career

Warner began her political career by speaking at events for political candidates such as Governor of Oklahoma Roy J. Turner, and Senators

Elmer Thomas John William Elmer Thomas (September 8, 1876 – September 19, 1965) was a native of Indiana who moved to Oklahoma Territory in 1901, where he practiced law in Lawton. After statehood, he was elected to the first state senate, representing the L ...

and

Robert S. Kerr Robert Samuel Kerr (September 11, 1896 – January 1, 1963) was an American businessman and politician from Oklahoma. Kerr formed a petroleum company before turning to politics. He served as the 12th governor of Oklahoma from 1943 to 1947 and ...

when she was 13 years old. Warner moved to Arizona, and became active in politics after raising six children and helping to run her family's business for 20 years. She first ran for the office of

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction The Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected state executive position in the Arizona state government. The superintendent oversees the state of Arizona's public school system and directs the state's Department of Education. Th ...

, and was elected to her first term as Superintendent in 1974, and took office in 1975. She would be reelected twice more, in 1978 and 1982. Warner ran in the Democratic primary for

, but lost to Pima County, Arizona Attorney Dennis DeConcini. Warner was the Democratic nominee for

, but was defeated by then-State Senator

, who would go on to be impeached from office. In 1998, Warner received an honorary Doctorate from Northern Arizona University "in recognition of her service to education and the community." Warner was a Congressional appointee to the National Skills Standards Board and was a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business. She was elected as Democratic National Committeewoman for Arizona in 2004 and 2008. Warner was super-delegate for

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

in 2016.

Later career

Since leaving public office, Warner has remained active in party politics, in addition to running an education consulting firm called Corporate Education Consulting, Inc. She is also the author of four books. Warner died of cancer on October 9, 2018, at the age of 88 at her home in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Carolyn 1930 births 2018 deaths 21st-century American women Arizona Democrats Oklahoma Democrats People from Ardmore, Oklahoma Stephens College alumni Superintendents of Public Instruction of Arizona University of Oklahoma alumni Women in Arizona politics Women state constitutional officers of Arizona Writers from Arizona Writers from Oklahoma