View source for Charlie Laster

{{short description|American politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| name= Charlie Laster
| image =
|office        = Minority Leader of the [[Oklahoma Senate]]
|term_start    = 2008
|term_end      = 2011
|predecessor   = [[Glenn Coffee]]
|successor     = [[Andrew Rice]]
| state_senate2 = Oklahoma
| district2 = 17th
| term_start2 = 2003
| term_end2 = 2012
| predecessor2 = [[Brad Henry]]
| successor2 = [[Ron Sharp]]
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|4|18}}
| birth_place = [[Shawnee, Oklahoma]], U.S.
| alma_mater = [[Oklahoma State University]],<br>[[University of Oklahoma]]
| profession = [[Attorney at law (United States)|attorney]]
| spouse = Kathy Laster
| residence = [[Shawnee, Oklahoma]], U.S.
}}

''' Charlie Laster''' is an American attorney and former [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member and [[Floor Leader|Minority Leader]] of the [[Oklahoma Senate]]. Laster served as a caucus leader during a period of [[Oklahoma]] history in which the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] had equal representation in the [[Oklahoma Senate]].

==Early life==
Laster graduated from Shawnee High School in 1972, [[Oklahoma State University]] in 1976, and received his J.D. from the [[University of Oklahoma College of Law]] in 1979. While at Oklahoma State University, Laster played competitive [[tennis]] in the [[Big 8 Conference]].

==Political career==
Laster was first elected in a special election on February 11, 2003<ref name="specialelection">[http://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/04ss17.pdf Results of 2003 Special Election], Oklahoma State Election Board (accessed April 29, 2013)</ref> to replace the seat left vacant by [[Brad Henry]] who was elected governor in 2002. Laster's opponent, [[Kris Steele]],<ref name="specialelection"/> later went on to be the [[Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives]].

Laster rose to leadership within the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] caucus, serving as chair of the committee that vets criminal and tort reform legislation.

When [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] attained equal membership in the [[Oklahoma Senate]], Laster was named the Democratic Floor Leader by then President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan to serve during the 51st Legislature. In the hopes that the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] would recapture the majority of Senate seats, Laster was named President Pro Tempore-designate by the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] caucus. They failed to do so, losing two seats to the Republicans. Despite the poor showing of the caucus in the elections, Laster was named unanimously as the Minority Floor Leader for the 52nd Legislature in November 2008.

==Election results==
2008 General Election<ref name="electtwo">[http://www.ok.gov/elections/08gen.html 2008 Election Results]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Oklahoma State Election Board (accessed April 29, 2013)</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="1" align="center" valign="top" | '''Candidate'''
! valign="top" | '''Votes'''
! valign="top" | '''%'''
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|'''Charlie Laster'''
|15,806
|56.55%
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Donald Rominger
|12,145
|43.45%
|}

Primary Election July 27, 2004<ref name="electone">[http://www.ok.gov/elections/04pri.html 2004 Primary Results]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Oklahoma State Election Board (accessed April 29, 2013)</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="1" align="center" valign="top" | '''Candidate'''
! valign="top" | '''Votes'''
! valign="top" | '''%'''
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|'''Charlie Laster'''
|5,713
|78.31%
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Russel Bristow
|1,582
|21.69%
|}
February 11, 2003 Special General Election<ref name="specialelection"/>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="1" align="center" valign="top" | '''Candidate'''
! valign="top" | '''Votes'''
! valign="top" | '''%'''
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|'''Charlie Laster'''
|5,849
|54.25%
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|[[Kris Steele]]
| 4,933
|45.75%
|}
January 14, 2003 Special Primary Election<ref name="specialelection"/>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="1" align="center" valign="top" | '''Candidate'''
! valign="top" | '''Votes'''
! valign="top" | '''%'''
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|'''Charlie Laster'''
|3,358
|71.30%
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Greg Wilson
|1,352
|28.70%
|}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=46319 Profile] from [[Project Vote Smart]]
*[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=106175 Follow the Money Profile], 2008
*[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=79036 Follow the Money Profile], 2006
*[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=18432 Follow the Money Profile], 2004

{{Current Oklahoma Legislature}}
{{Current Oklahoma statewide political officials}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laster, Charlie}}
[[Category:Democratic Party Oklahoma state senators]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Oklahoma Legislature]]
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Shawnee, Oklahoma]]