Richard Belmont Ray (February 2, 1927 – May 29, 1999) was an American politician who served as a member of the
United States 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 ...
for
Georgia's 3rd congressional district
Georgia's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district is currently represented by Republican Drew Ferguson. The district's boundaries have been redrawn following the 2010 census, which gra ...
from 1983 to 1993.
Early life
Ray was born in
Fort Valley, Georgia
Fort Valley is a city in and the county seat of Peach County, Georgia, Peach County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 8,780.
The city is in the Warner Robi ...
, and graduated from
Crawford County High School in
Roberta, Georgia
Roberta is a city in Crawford County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,007 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Creek Agency
In the early nineteenth century, Indian agent Benjamin Hawki ...
, in 1944.
Career
After graduating from high school, Ray served in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, from 1944 to 1946. After the war, Ray worked as a farmer and local businessman before serving as mayor of
Perry, Georgia
Perry is a city in Houston and Peach counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the county seat of Houston County. The population was 13,839 at the 2010 census, up from 9,602 at the 2000 census. As of 2019 the estimated population was 17,894. I ...
, from 1964 to 1970. During that time,
Sam Nunn
Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr. (born September 8, 1938) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Georgia (1972–1997) as a member of the Democratic Party.
After leaving Congress, Nunn co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initia ...
was city attorney, and after Nunn's election to the
United States 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 pow ...
in 1972, Ray became Nunn's administrative assistant.
In 1982, Ray was elected as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
to the
United States 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 ...
representing
Georgia's 3rd congressional district
Georgia's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district is currently represented by Republican Drew Ferguson. The district's boundaries have been redrawn following the 2010 census, which gra ...
. He was re-elected to that position four times.
After the 1990 Census, Georgia gained a new congressional district. Despite this, the Democratic-controlled
Georgia General Assembly dismantled
Georgia's 6th congressional district
Georgia's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. , it is represented by Democrat Lucy McBath. The Georgia 6th district's boundaries were redrawn following the 2020 census to be significantly more ...
and shifted much of the southern portion of
Newt Gingrich's old territory into Ray's
Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
-based district. However, the new district was considerably more urban and
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
than Ray's old district. Ray lost to Republican
state Senator Mac Collins
Michael Allen "Mac" Collins (October 15, 1944 – November 20, 2018) was an American businessman and politician. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2005, representing (previously from 1993 to ...
, a resident of the former Gingrich territory, by almost 10 points.
Personal life
After his congressional service, Ray resided in both
Byron, Georgia
Byron is a city located primarily in Peach County, Georgia, United States. A small portion of the city also extends into parts of Houston and Crawford counties. The population was estimated to be 5,149 in 2019 by the Census Bureau, an increasi ...
and
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C.
In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...
. He died in
Macon, Georgia in 1999.
References
External links
*
Retrieved on 2008-01-26
*
*
1927 births
1999 deaths
People from Fort Valley, Georgia
United States Navy sailors
United States Navy personnel of World War II
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state)
Mayors of places in Georgia (U.S. state)
People from Crawford County, Georgia
20th-century American politicians
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