Louisiana Senator Resigns to Deal with Gambling Addiction

A powerful Democratic voice in the Louisiana State Senate is moving along.

New Orleans Democrat Karen Carter Peterson has resigned from the Louisiana Senate, This will put a wrap on a 23-year career in the legislature. Peterson has told her colleagues she must now focus all of her energy on her struggles with depression and gambling addiction. She spoke about her decision on the Senate Floor, telling her fellow Senators she was resigning her post.

"With God’s blessing, I’m sober. I’ve been off the bet as we call it in Gambler’s Anonymous, for a long time."

Peterson says she is always willing to talk about her battles with addiction in the hopes it might help someone else who is also struggling.

But there might be more to this story. The Advocate in Baton Rouge is reporting Peterson’s abrupt resignation is because she’s under a federal investigation because of financial issues linked to her gambling.

What's The Future Hold For Karen Carter Peterson?

Political analyst Clancy Dubos tells the Louisiana Radio Network he’s not sure what’s Peterson’s future, but she helped raise the glass ceiling for what women can accomplish in the state politics, becoming the first woman to lead the Louisiana Democratic Party.