Coulson was elected to the
Illinois House of Representatives in 1996. She succeeded
Gregg Goslin who was appointed as a caretaker after
Kevin Hanrahan resigned during his first term. She ran for the
Illinois's 10th congressional district seat being vacated by
Mark Kirk, but lost to
Bob Dold in the February 2nd, 2010, primary election. She backed Republican candidate
Hamilton Chang, in his unsuccessful bid to replace her in the Illinois House of Representatives in the 17th district. On March 5, 2021,
Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker appointed Coulson to the Illinois Human Rights Commission for a term ending January 16, 2025. Her appointment was confirmed by the
Illinois Senate on March 8, 2022. ==References==