Democratic Party of Georgia
|
|
---|---|
Chairperson | DuBose Porter |
Senate leader | Steve Henson |
House leader | Stacey Abrams |
Headquarters | Atlanta, GA |
Ideology | Modern liberalism |
Political position | Center-left |
National affiliation | Democratic Party |
Colors | Blue |
Seats in the Upper House |
18 / 56
|
Seats in the Lower House |
60 / 180
|
Website | |
www |
The Democratic Party of Georgia is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is one of the two major political parties in the state.
For over a century, the Democratic Party dominated Georgia state and local politics.
From 1872 to 2002, the Democratic Party controlled the Governor's Mansion, both houses of the state legislature and most statewide offices.
After switching to the Republican Party in 1998, Sonny Perdue went on to defeat Democrat Roy Barnes in the 2002 gubernatorial election. Perdue's unexpected victory marked the beginning of a decline for the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Georgia House Speaker Tom Murphy, the longest serving Speaker in any state legislature, lost his bid for another term in the state House. Four Democrats in the Georgia State Senate changed their political affiliation, handing the upper house to the GOP. And in 2004, the Democratic Party lost control of the Georgia House of Representatives, putting the party in the minority for the first time in Georgia history.
The Democratic Party of Georgia entered the 2010 elections with hopes that former Governor Roy Barnes could win back the Governor's Mansion. Polls showed a tight race between Barnes and Republican gubernatorial nominee Nathan Deal, with some predicting a runoff election. However, on election day, Republicans won every statewide office.
The Chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia is DuBose Porter. Porter was elected in August 2013 via special election and was reelected in January 2015 to serve a full four-year term.
Seven individuals—Chairman DuBose Porter, First Vice Chair Nikema Williams, Wendy Davis, former state AFL-CIO President Richard Ray, Sally Rosser, State Representative Pamela Stephenson and former state Democratic Party Chairman David Worley—were elected to represent Georgia on the Democratic National Committee.
State Representative Stacey Abrams serves as Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives. State Senator Steve Henson serves as Minority Leader in the Georgia Senate.