born in enniskillen, carson studied at enniskillen collegiate school and stranmillis college before working as a teacher. in 1997 she was elected to dungannon borough council for the ulster unionist party (uup), and at the 1998 northern ireland assembly election, she was elected in fermanagh and south tyrone. in 1996 he was an unsuccessful candidate in the northern ireland forum election in fermanagh and south tyrone.