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The Democratic Party of Georgia is the affiliate of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
. It is one of the two major political parties in the state and is chaired by
Nikema Williams Nikema Natassha Williams (born July 30, 1978) is an American politician and political executive serving as the representative for . The district includes almost three-fourths of Atlanta. She was a member of the Georgia State Senate for the 39th d ...
. President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
was a Georgia Democrat. Since the passage of the
Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...
, Georgia Democrats have advocated Medicaid expansion in the state, a policy that would provide a federally subsidized health insurance plan to approximately 500,000 Georgians. At $5.15 an hour, Georgia is one of only two states with a state minimum wage below the federal minimum wage; a priority for Georgia Democrats in the 2010s and 2020s has been increasing the
minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...
.


History

For over a century, the Democratic Party dominated Georgia state and local politics with a membership largely consisting of
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Southern Democrats Southern Democrats, historically sometimes known colloquially as Dixiecrats, are members of the U.S. History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party who reside in the Southern United States. Southern Democrats were generally mu ...
. From 1872 to 2002, the Democratic Party controlled the governorship, both houses of the state legislature, and most statewide offices. In
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
, former Democratic governor
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
(1971−1975) was elected the 39th
president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
. After switching to the Republican Party in 1998,
Sonny Perdue George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as t ...
went on to defeat Democrat
Roy Barnes Roy Eugene Barnes (born March 11, 1948)Cook, James F. (2005). ''The Governors of Georgia, 1754-2004, 3rd Edition, Revised and Expanded.'' Macon, GA: Mercer University Press. is an American attorney and politician who served as the 80th Govern ...
in the 2002 gubernatorial election. In 2004, the Democratic Party lost control of the
Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. T ...
, putting the party in the minority for the first time in state history. The Democratic Party of Georgia entered the 2010 elections with hopes that former governor Roy Barnes could win back the governorship. Polls showed a tight race between Barnes and Republican gubernatorial nominee
Nathan Deal John Nathan Deal (born August 25, 1942) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 82nd governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party in 1992 a ...
, with some predicting a runoff election. However, on election day, Republicans won every statewide office. Since the passage of the
Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...
, Georgia Democrats have advocated Medicaid expansion in the state, a policy that would provide a federally subsidized healthcare plan to about 500,000 Georgians. At $5.15 an hour, Georgia is one of only two states with a state minimum wage below the federal minimum wage; a priority for Georgia Democrats in the 2010s and 2020s has been increasing the
minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...
. Since 2016, Georgia Democrats have begun to see better results, with them getting very close to winning the governorship in
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
. In
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, Joe Biden narrowly won the state, the first time for a Democratic presidential candidate since
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
. Not long after that, Democrats
Jon Ossoff Thomas Jonathan Ossoff ( ; born February 16, 1987) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Georgia since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Ossoff was previously a documentary filmmaker and investigativ ...
and
Raphael Warnock Raphael Gamaliel Warnock ( ; born July 23, 1969) is an American Baptist pastor and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Georgia since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he assumed office on January 20, 2021. Since 2 ...
won both of the state's U.S. Senate seats in runoff elections in
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, the first time Democrats won statewide office since 2006.


Leadership

Officers of the Democratic Party of Georgia are elected by the state Democratic committee at a January meeting following each regular gubernatorial election. Officers serve four-year terms, and there is no limit on the number of terms an individual can serve as an officer. Below are the current officers: *Chair:
Nikema Williams Nikema Natassha Williams (born July 30, 1978) is an American politician and political executive serving as the representative for . The district includes almost three-fourths of Atlanta. She was a member of the Georgia State Senate for the 39th d ...
*First Vice Chair:
Ted Terry Edward Richard Terry (4 June 1904 – 5 March 1967) was an outstanding all-round Tasmanian schoolboy athlete. He was an accomplished professional sprinter, and he also played Australian rules football in Tasmania before moving to the mainlan ...
*Vice Chair of Candidate Recruitment: Adrienne White *Vice Chair of Congressional District Chairs and County Party Liaison: Sarah Todd *Vice Chair of Constituency Groups: Bee Nguyen *Secretary: Justin Holsomback *Treasurer: Jason Esteves *House Leader: James Beverly *Senate Leader:
Gloria Butler Gloria Singleton Butler (born December 25, 1941) is an American politician from the state of Georgia. A member of the Democratic Party, Butler has been a member of the Georgia State Senate since 1999.. Senate.ga.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2013. She ...


Caucuses and affiliates

* AAPI Caucus * African American Caucus * Democratic Women's Council * Disability Caucus * Georgia Democratic Rural Council * Georgia Federation of Democratic Women * Georgia House Democrats * Georgia Senate Democrats * Greening Georgia * Latino Caucus * LGBTQ Caucus * Senior Caucus * Veterans Caucus * Young Democrats of Georgia


Current elected officials


Members of Congress

Democrats hold six of Georgia's 14 seats in the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
and both of Georgia's seats in the
U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
.


U.S. Senate

Democrats have controlled both of Georgia's seats in the U.S. Senate since
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
: File:Jon Ossoff Senate Portrait 2021.jpg, Senior U.S. Senator File:Raphael Warnock official photo.jpg, Junior U.S. Senator


U.S. House of Representatives


Statewide offices

The party controls none of the thirteen statewide constitutional offices such as Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Superintendent of Schools, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Labor, or state Attorney General, etc.


State Legislature

Democrats control 22 of the 56 State Senate seats and 77 of the 180 State House seats. Two-year terms of office apply to both chambers, and the entire membership of each body is elected at the same time in even-numbered years. *
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
** Current senators **Senate Minority Leader:
Gloria Butler Gloria Singleton Butler (born December 25, 1941) is an American politician from the state of Georgia. A member of the Democratic Party, Butler has been a member of the Georgia State Senate since 1999.. Senate.ga.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2013. She ...
(SD55) **Senate Deputy Minority Leader: Harold V. Jones II (SD22) **Senate Minority Caucus Chair:
Elena Parent Elena Catherine Parent (born December 27, 1975) is an American politician and attorney. A member of the Democratic Party, she serves in the Georgia State Senate and previously served in the Georgia House of Representatives. Personal life Parent ...
(SD42) *
House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
** Current representatives **House Minority Leader: James Beverly (HD143) **House Minority Whip:
David Wilkerson David Ray Wilkerson (May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011) was an American Christian evangelist, best known for his book ''The Cross and the Switchblade''. He was the founder of the addiction recovery program Teen Challenge, and founding pastor of th ...
(HD38) **House Minority Caucus Chair:
Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...
(HD88)


Presidential elections

Since 1948, Democrats have won Georgia's presidential electoral votes 9 times, while Republicans have won Georgia 10 times. However, in the last 10 presidential elections, Democrats have won Georgia only twice, in 1992 and 2020.


List of chairs


Elected by the state convention

*
Thomas Hardeman Thomas Hardeman Jr. (January 12, 1825 – March 6, 1891) was an American politician, lawyer and soldier. Early years Hardeman was born in Eatonton, Georgia and graduated from Emory College in 1845. He studied and was admitted to the stat ...
(1872) *
L. N. Trammell Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
(1880) * Charles F. Clay (1883) * B. H. Bigham (1886) *
Hoke Smith Michael Hoke Smith (September 2, 1855November 27, 1931) was an American attorney, politician, and newspaper owner who served as United States secretary of the interior (1893–1896), 58th governor of Georgia (1907–1909, 1911), and a United S ...
(1888) *
William Yates Atkinson William Yates Atkinson (November 11, 1854 – August 8, 1899), was the 55th Governor of Georgia from 1894 to 1898. Early life Atkinson was born in the Oakland community in Meriwether County, Georgia on November 11, 1854. He graduated from the ...
(1890–1892) * Allen Fort (1892-1894) *
Alexander Stephens Clay Alexander Stephens Clay (September 25, 1853November 13, 1910) was a United States senator from Georgia. Biography Clay was born in Powder Springs, Georgia, and graduated from Hiwassee College in Tennessee in 1875. He was admitted to the bar ...
(1894–1898) * Fleming W. Dubignon (1898–1900) * E. T. Brown (1902–1904) * E. J. Yeomans (1904–1906) *
Alexander Lawton Miller The Mayor of Macon-Bibb County is the highest elected official in the consolidated city-county government of Macon and Bibb County, Georgia. The county was established in 1822, while the city was incorporated in 1823. Heads of the city were know ...
(1906–1908) *
Hewlett A. Hall Hewlett or Hewletts may refer to: * Bill Hewlett, an American entrepreneur * Hewlett (surname) * Hewlett Johnson (1874-1966), English clergyman, Dean of Manchester and Dean of Canterbury * Hewlett Thompson (born 1929), Anglican former Bishop of E ...
(1908–1909) * Charles R. Pendleton (1909–1910) * W. C. Wright (1910–1912) *
William J. Harris William Julius Harris (February 3, 1868April 18, 1932) was a United States senator from the state of Georgia. He was a great-grandson of Charles Hooks, who had been a Representative from North Carolina, and son-in-law of Joseph Wheeler, Confed ...
(1912–1913) * William S. West (1913–1914) * E. J. Reagan (1914–1916) *
John James Flynt Sr. John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
(1916–1920) * William Jerome Vereen (1920–1921) * G. E. Maddox (1925–30) * Lawrence S. Camp (1930–32) * Hugh Howell (1935–1937) * Charles S. Reid (1937) * Jim L. Gillis (1939) * William Y. Atkinson Jr. (1942) * J. Lon Duckworth (1943–1946) * James S. Peters (1948–1954) * John Sammons Bell (1954–1960) *
J. B. Fuqua John Brooks Fuqua (pronounced ) (June 26, 1918 – April 5, 2006) was a businessman, philanthropist, airport creator and chairman of The Fuqua Companies and Fuqua Enterprises. The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University is named after him, as i ...
(1962–1966) * James H. Gray Sr. (1966–1970)


Appointed by the governor

* David Gambrell (1970–1972) * Charles Kirbo (1972–1974) *
Marge Thurman Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret. Notable Marges include: People *Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist *Marge Anderson (1932–2013), Ojibwe ...
(1974–1982) * Al Holloway (1982) *
Bert Lance Thomas Bertram "Bert" Lance (June 3, 1931 – August 15, 2013) was an American businessman who served as director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Jimmy Carter in 1977. He is known mainly for resigning from the Carter admini ...
(1982–1986) *
John Henry Anderson John Henry Anderson (1814–1874) was a Scottish professional magician. Anderson is credited with helping bring the art of magic from street performances into theatres and presenting magic performances to entertain and delight the audience. C ...
(1986–1990) * Ed Sims (1990–1994) * John Blackmon (1994–1998) *
David Worley David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
(1998–2001) *
Calvin Smyre Calvin Smyre (born May 17, 1947) is an American politician who recently served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives for the 135th district. Elected in 1974, he was the longest-serving member of the Georgia Legislature. In May 2022 ...
(2001–2004)


Elected by the state committee

*
Bobby Kahn Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People * Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter * Bobby, old slang for a constabl ...
(2004–2007) * Jane Kidd (2007–2010) * Mike Berlon (2011–2013) *
Nikema Williams Nikema Natassha Williams (born July 30, 1978) is an American politician and political executive serving as the representative for . The district includes almost three-fourths of Atlanta. She was a member of the Georgia State Senate for the 39th d ...
(2013) *
DuBose Porter DuBose Porter (born October 2, 1953) is an American attorney, politician, businessman, and former newspaper publisher who served as chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia and served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from ...
(2013–2019) *
Nikema Williams Nikema Natassha Williams (born July 30, 1978) is an American politician and political executive serving as the representative for . The district includes almost three-fourths of Atlanta. She was a member of the Georgia State Senate for the 39th d ...
(2019–present)


See also

*
Political party strength in Georgia (U.S. state) The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia: *List of governors of Georgia, Governor *Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, Lieutenant Governor *Georgia Secretary of State, Secretary of ...


References


External links


Democratic Party of Georgia

Young Democrats of Georgia
{{Authority control
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...