Susan Paddack (born in

Baytown, Texas Baytown is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Harris and Chambers counties. Located in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area, it lies on the northern side of the Galveston Bay complex near the outlets of t ...

) is a Democratic politician and former educator in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. She served in the Oklahoma State Senate representing District 13, which includes Pontotoc and

Hughes Hughes may refer to: People * Hughes (surname) * Hughes (given name) Places Antarctica * Hughes Range (Antarctica), Ross Dependency * Mount Hughes, Oates Land * Hughes Basin, Oates Land * Hughes Bay, Graham Land * Hughes Bluff, Victoria La ...

counties and parts of

Garvin Garvin is both a surname and a given name of Irish origin. Notable people with the name include: Surname: * Alexander Garvin, noted American urban planner, educator, and author *Anita Garvin (1906–1994), American actress * Clifton C. Garvin (19 ...

and

Coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...

counties, since 2004. As of 2013, she served as Minority

Whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

and Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee. Paddack was a candidate for the role of

Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction The Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes called the Oklahoma State School Superintendent, is the chief executive officer for the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the president of the Oklahoma State Board of Edu ...

, but ultimately failed to win the election against her Republican opponent,

Janet Barresi Janet Barresi (born March 6, 1952) is a former dentist and former Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction who was elected on November 2, 2010 and began her term of service on January 10, 2011. Her term in office followed former Superintende ...

. Prior to her political career, Paddack was a science teacher and

adjunct professor An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, however the genera ...

Early life

Susan Paddack was born in

. Her father was Vice President of the General Telephone Company and her mother was a stay-at-home mom. After graduating from high school in

Brownfield, Texas Brownfield is a city in Terry County, Texas, United States. Its population was 9,657 at the 2010 census. Brownfield is 39 miles southwest of Lubbock, it is the county seat of Terry County. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, Br ...

, Paddack went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Education from the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...

after attending

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

for two years and a master's of education degree from

East Central University East Central University (ECU or East Central) is a public university in Ada, Oklahoma. It is part of Oklahoma's Regional University System. Beyond its flagship campus in Ada, the university has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, and Duran ...

. Paddack and her husband moved to Ada, Oklahoma in the early 1980s. Paddack was the first person in her family to obtain a college education, let alone a master's degree.

Educational career

Paddack was Director of Local Education Foundation Outreach for the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence for over nine years. She was also a science teacher in secondary schools as well as adjunct faculty member in the Education Department at

Political career

In 2004 Paddack was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate where she currently serves. While campaigning, Paddack commonly told constituents that she was a "Texan by birth but an Oklahoman by choice." Paddack was named "50 Women Making a Difference" in Oklahoma by the ''Journal Record'' in 2004 and 2008.50 Making a Difference, ''The Journal Record'', 2008
/ref> Paddack ran for

in the 2010 election, but was defeated by Republican Janet Barresi.

Senate Committees

*Appropriations *Appropriation Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation *Appropriation Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary *Education *Finance *Pensions *Public Safety *Transportation

References

External links

Women of the Oklahoma Legislature Oral History Project -- OSU LibraryProject Vote Smart - Susan Paddack (OK)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - Susan Paddack
200820062004
campaign contributions {{DEFAULTSORT:Paddack, Susan Living people Democratic Party Oklahoma state senators Women state legislators in Oklahoma People from Ada, Oklahoma 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Year of birth missing (living people) People from Baytown, Texas University of Colorado Boulder alumni East Central University alumni East Central University faculty American women academics Candidates in the 2010 United States elections