Debbe Leftwich is a United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 from the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

 and was a member of the Oklahoma Senate

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....

 from 2003-2010.

Early life

Born in Chandler, Oklahoma

Chandler, Oklahoma

Chandler is a city in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,842 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area.Chandler is located east of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on U.S...

, Leftwitch grew up in Wellston, Oklahoma

Wellston, Oklahoma

Wellston is a town in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 825 at the 2000 census.- History :Wellston was named by Christian T. Wells, who established a trading post on the site in 1883...

 where she graduated from Wellston High School. She went on to attend Oklahoma Baptist University

Oklahoma Baptist University

Oklahoma Baptist University is a co-educational Christian liberal arts university located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and owned by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Established in 1910, OBU is ranked No.2 among baccalaureate colleges in the western region in the 2010 U.S...

 and the University of Central Oklahoma

University of Central Oklahoma

The University of Central Oklahoma, often referred to as UCO, is a coeducational public university located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The university is the third largest in Oklahoma, with almost 18,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty...

.

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

Keith Leftwich

Keith Clayton Leftwich , was a State Representative and State Senator for Oklahoma.Born to John V. and Paulyne Leftwich at Tinker Air Force Base Hospital, Leftwich graduated from Choctaw High School in 1972. One of his accomplishments there was receiving the William Randolph Hearst Award for High...

, who died of cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 in September 2003. Leftwich was re-elected in 2006.

Corruption

Senator Leftwich is a key figure in the 2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation

2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation

The 2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation is an ongoing criminal investigation that focuses on whether Oklahoma State Representative Randy Terrill , State Representative Mike Christian , and State Senator Debbe Leftwich engaged in political corruption involving the Office of the...

.

Personal life

Leftwich and her late husband, Senator Keith Leftwich have two sons, Kevin and Kurt.

Senate Committees

• Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary
• Business and Labor - Co-Chair
• Criminal Jurisprudence
• Health and Human Resources
• Transportation

Boards, Committees and Commissions

• 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
  Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women
  Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women was created by the Oklahoma State Legislature in 1994. Made up of thirty members, one-third are appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma, one-third are appointed by the President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, one-third are appointed by the Speaker of...
  
  
• 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