Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for December 23, 2024

On December 25, 1776, Continental forces under General George Washington began crossing the Delaware River and the next day launched a suprise attack on Hessian soldiers at Trenton, New Jersey.

The War of 1812 ended on December 24, 1814 with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, Belgium by British and American representatives.

Happy Birthday to Columbus, Georgia, founded on December 24, 1827 when Gov. John Forsyth signed legislation incorporating the new town.

Wesleyan College in Macon was chartered on December 23, 1836, becoming the first college chartered specifically to grant degrees to women.

On December 25, 1868, President Andrew Johnson issued an unconditional pardon of all Confederates.

On December 23, 1864, the Georgia General Assembly passed a resolution specifying that the Senate chamber should be lit by electricity for the next Session. That is the last time the legislature sought enlightenment before passing laws.

President Calvin Coolidge lit the first National Christmas Tree on the White House grounds on December 24, 1923.

U.S.S. Atlanta was commissioned on December 24, 1941 at the New York Navy Yard as the lead ship of a new class of Light Cruisers. USS Atlanta (CL-51) was sponsored by Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind.

Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as President of the USSR on December 25, 1991, signalling the end of the Godless Communist regime.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Brian Kemp and other state elected officials visited Georgia National Guard members at the Southern border with Mexico, according to a Press Release.

Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced plans for a Command visit of the Georgia National Guard Task Force at the U.S. Southern Border in Texas. He will be accompanied by Lt. Governor Burt Jones; Speaker Jon Burns; Chairman Chuck Payne of the Senate Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security Committee; and Chairman Josh Bonner and Representative Chas Cannon from the House Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee. The group of elected officials will visit the roughly 85 Georgia Guardsmen stationed in Texas on Friday to thank them for their service and sacrifices, especially as Americans prepare to celebrate the holidays in the upcoming weeks while these brave servicemembers spend them away from home and loved ones.

“Since 2019, through every holiday and with constant vigilance and professionalism, our Georgia Guardsmen have maintained the longest continuous presence at the U.S. Southern border of any state in the country,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “As Georgia and the nation celebrate Christmas and the New Year, the devoted young men and women currently stationed there will continue to put the security of our border, our communities, and our families ahead of their own comfort and time with family and friends. I look forward to thanking them personally on behalf of all Georgians for their service, bravery, and dedication.”

“I want to thank Governor Kemp for inviting me to join him for a visit to our border,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “It is an honor to have the chance to personally thank the brave men and women of the Georgia National Guard for all they are doing to ensure our border is secure. These heroes are putting their lives on the line so that we can remain a safe country, and we can never thank them enough. We are proud they call Georgia home and we will continue to support them until they are back home safely.”

“Our heroes in the Georgia National Guard sacrifice immeasurably to protect our communities and citizens across the nation,“ said Speaker of the House Jon Burns. “It is an honor to join Governor Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Jones in Texas to visit with the guardsmen who are defending our southern border, and deliver a few gifts to remind them of home. We join alongside every Georgian in thanking them for their dedicated service and praying for their continued safety this holiday season.”

Hunger Free America reports that nearly a quarter of Georgia children go to be hungry, according to the Savannah Morning News.

A new report from Hunger Free America found that 22.4% of children in Georgia – or 555,208 kids –live in households without enough food. Georgia now has the fourth highest rate of food insecurity among children in the nation.

The problem, advocates say, is exasperated in part by Georgia’s refusal to participate in a federal food program that has greatly reduced food insecurity elsewhere in the country.

For many kids, summer tends to be the hungriest time of the year, when meals they would normally receive in school are no longer available. Georgia officials have until January 1, 2025, to decide whether the state will participate in a federally funded program that would alleviate some of that hunger.

Summer EBT, also known as Sun Bucks, is a federal assistance program that gives eligible families $40 per month per child to buy groceries while schools are closed during the summer. Over 1.1 million children in Georgia would benefit from the program, the Food Research and Action Center estimates.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the program in 2024. But Georgia was one of 13 states that chose not to opt-in for the program’s inaugural year, forfeiting around $138 million in federal benefits.

Gov. Brian Kemp previously said that Georgia decided not to participate due to the program’s “lack of nutrition standards and fiscal sustainability.”

A spokesperson for the governor’s office told USA TODAY that potential participation in 2025 is “currently still under review.”

When Kemp rejected the 2024 Summer EBT funding, he said the state would focus on previously existing programs instead.

Georgia currently offers Happy Helpings and Seamless Summer Option, both USDA-funded programs that run meal sites during the summer months, where children can pick up or eat free meals.

Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #12.16.24.03, appointing Sarah Stimac Japour as District Attorney of the new West Georgia Judicial Circuit, serving Carroll and Heard Counties. The West Georgia Judicial Circuit was created by Senate Bill 424.

From Gradick Communications/WLBB:

Japour is a career prosecutor and the current Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit. Before working in the Tallapoosa Circuit, she served as a Senior Assistant District Attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit for a total of 20 years. She has extensive experience prosecuting complex cases including murder, rape, armed robbery, kidnapping, and child molestation charges.

Japour received her bachelor’s degree in communications studies for law from Florida State University and her law degree from Samford University. She and her husband, Justin, live in Carrollton and have two children.

In 2023, Japour was announced by The Judicial Nominating Commission of Georgia as one of two final candidates from which Gov. Brian Kemp was expected to fill a new judgeship created by legislation passed during the 2023 session of the Georgia General Assembly.

Coweta Judicial Circuit Chief Assistant District Attorney C. Jephson Bendinger was ultimately appointed as Judge of the Coweta Judicial Circuit.

The Georgia JNC had short-listed Japour in 2016 and again in 2019 for appointment consideration.

U. S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Extreme Northwest Georgia) said she only voted for the spending bill to keep the federal government running because President-elect Trump asked her to, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

Greene represents Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, which includes Whitfield and Murray counties.

“I am one of the most conservative members of Congress and last night I voted for a bill that ordinarily I would never vote for,” Greene posted on the social media site X. “However, the man that took a bullet to the face and won the presidential election with 312 Electoral College votes, and the most votes of any Republican presidential candidate in history, asked me to vote for it, so I did, gladly.”

The Trump-backed bill failed by a 174-235-1 vote in the House of Representatives with 38 Republicans voting against it. Congressional leaders have until midnight Friday to develop a spending bill that can pass both chambers to avoid a shutdown of many federal government services.

On Wednesday, House Republican leaders pulled a bill they had negotiated to keep the government running through March 14, 2025, after first industrialist Elon Musk and then Trump publicly opposed it.

Greene said in her Friday post that Republicans “gave up a critical opportunity to unite and pass our own CR (continuing resolution) sending it to (the) Senate with a powerful message to (Senate Majority Leader Chuck) Schumer and the Dems that come hell or high water we are going to deliver for Pres Trump and the people who elected him.”

“After this let it shut down,” she said. “I’ll only vote to pay our military, border patrol and key federal law enforcement, and the very basics to keep things running until Jan. 20, 2025 (the date Trump will be inaugurated).”

From WRDW:

On Saturday, Sen. Raphael Warnock voted on a bill that would not only help keep the federal government open but also help rural Georgia communities still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Helene.

The bill will provide $100 billion in disaster assistance for Georgians and Americans recovering from Hurricane Helene and other recent natural disasters, as well as tens of millions in additional assistance for Georgia commodity farmers, according to a release.

The bill also funded the federal government through March 14.

The move came after Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper called on Congress to pass the federal spending bill.

“From soaring input costs to low commodity prices, the expiration of the Farm Bill, and devastating natural disasters, these past few years have been some of the hardest for our farm families in our nation’s history,” Harper said in a statement. “We have worked around the clock to do everything in our power to get our farm families back on their feet, and thanks to the diligent work of those members of Congress who are fighting on behalf of agriculture, including a number of those in our congressional delegation, it is my understanding that a deal on disaster assistance and economic relief has been reached.”

Harper said while the destruction from Hurricane Helene is still “too raw and real in Georgia,” some in Washington D.C. have been “using agriculture as a pawn and apparently, don’t seem to care about the farm families that deliver the food, fiber and shelter that this country relies on every day.”

“The continued success of our farm families, our nation’s national security, and our consumers, who will benefit from lower prices at the grocery store, all depend on Congress passing significant disaster relief and economic assistance,” Harper said. “It is time for Washington, D.C. to do its job, and it is imperative that our entire congressional delegation support these measures to ensure our farm families remain strong and consumers can continue to enjoy the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supply in the world. The eyes of Georgia and the nation are watching — and it cannot afford to wait any longer.”

Warnock released a statement after the spending bill’s passage:

“Washington Republicans almost shut the government down for no good reason,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I’m glad our Republican colleagues in the House stopped playing partisan games and allowed Congress to finally do our job to keep the government open, but this is no way to run a country. This type of political brinksmanship that centers politicians and not the people is exactly what’s wrong with Washington and why Americans are losing trust in our government. I’m not going to stand by while craven politicians acting in bad faith try to take advantage of the hardworking people of our state. I’m supporting this short term government funding bill to get Georgia’s farmers and families the urgent assistance they need.”

He said the funding is especially critical for the pecan, cotton, poultry, and timber industries.

Georgia’s horticulture sector was hit hard and is estimated to have sustained $450 million in damage to crop loss, future income and greenhouses and other infrastructure.

From WSB Radio:

The state of Georgia’s leading officials say they are thankful for the disaster relief funding that was included in the short term spending bill passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden on Saturday.

The $100 billion in disaster aid and the $10 billion for farmers will help Georgia farmers still trying to recover after Hurricane Helene.

“This is a phenomenal Christmas present for Georgia agriculture,” said Tyler Harper, Georgia’s Agriculture Commissioner said. “We are going to do everything we can at the Department of Ag to work with our federal partners to ensure this federal relief gets to our farm families in our state as quickly as possible to help ensure you get back on your feet.”

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said the aid is what hurting farmers “deserve.” The September storm is estimated to have caused at least $5.5 billion in damage to Georgia’s agriculture and timber industries.

“Georgians in need and our farm families will now receive the disaster relief they deserve,” Kemp stated in a social media post on Saturday. I’m grateful to the members of the House and Senate who voted in favor of passage.”

“This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted,” Biden said in a statement, adding that “it ensures the government can continue to operate at full capacity. That’s good news for the American people.”

Separate federal legislation that will allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study further deepening of the Savannah River channel passed, according to WSAV.

The Water Resource Development Act of 2024 (WRDA) is reauthorized every two years to authorize projects for the Army Corps of Engineers. Several projects are focused on flooding in coastal areas, including the Coastal Georgia Flooding Prevention Act.

The WRDA would allow the Corps to study deepening and widening the Port of Savannah, something that has been discussed so the port could accommodate larger vessels.

“Thanks to our bipartisan efforts, I am proud to have advanced efforts to expand the Port of Savannah to accommodate larger vessels that will lead to a greater economic impact for Georgia,” Sen. [] Warnock said.

The bill would also establish a new authority for the Corps to carry out water projects in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn and McIntosh counties. If Biden signs off on the bill, $50 millions will be provided to these counties for water and wastewater infrastructure, including stormwater management and water supply, the bill said.

Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office said that these projects could improve the quality of life, strengthen resilience and prevent flooding along the coast.

“Amidst a surge of economic development across Coastal Georgia, we need to ensure our water infrastructure keeps up with increased demand,” Ossoff said.

The United States Senate also passed legislation to name the Plains Post Office after President and (late) Former First Lady Carter, according to the AJC.

The U.S. Senate gave final approval this week to legislation honoring Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn by renaming the tiny post office in their hometown of Plains.

The measure by the Georgia delegation just needs a signature from President Joe Biden, which is expected soon. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff and Rep. Sanford Bishop introduced companion bills in the Senate and House to name the tiny brick- and glass-front building the “Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Post Office.”

The Senate approved the measure on Thursday. It had previously passed the House with the backing of the full 14-member Georgia delegation. Carter turned 100 in October and is under home hospice care. Rosalynn Carter died in November 2023 at 96.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Editorial Board opines about the Okefenokee Swamp.

Time is running out to save the Okefenokee.

Protecting the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in far Southeastern Georgia could be Gov. Brian Kemp’s greatest legacy — if he acts now. He has a choice: Continue to remain silent about the threat or demand the Legislature act to save the swamp.

The beloved Okefenokee Swamp is under threat from mining interests who want to dig titanium sands from private, nonprotected land on Trail Ridge along the swamp’s eastern border.

We were in this spot almost 30 years ago when DuPont, a chemical company, sought to mine Trail Ridge. The federal government stepped in to oppose the mining, and DuPont eventually donated its land and looked elsewhere for its titanium dioxide, a whitening agent used in toothpaste.

But back then, the Okefenokee had Georgia’s governor on its side. Kemp, though, has been largely silent about the swamp.

We cannot depend on the federal government to save us this time.

Two federal agencies — the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior — are trying to save Georgia’s ecological wonder. Fish and Wildlife is seeking to expand the park’s boundaries by 22,000 acres. Doing so would allow the service to explore voluntary conservation, including acquisition, to protect the Okefenokee’s “globally significant freshwater wetland system and wildlife habitat,” as the agency’s website says,

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior announced Friday that it is nominating the refuge as a UNESCO World Heritage site, placing it among the ranks of the Acropolis, Babylon and the Great Wall of China.

But there might not be time for either.

Any day now, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division is expected to release its decision on Twin Pines’ mining permit. More than 200,000 people pleaded with the EPD in a public comment period to deny the permit. Sen. Jon Ossoff asked the EPD to deny the permit and supports the Fish and Wildlife expansion. Local governments want the Okefenokee protected.

And the incoming Trump administration could stamp out either effort. In fact, it was the Trump administration’s 2019 Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which removed federal protections from many wetlands, tributaries and ponds, that opened the door for Twin Pines to apply for a mining permit. The Biden administration tried to reclaim oversight, but the company sued. A settlement left the decision to the state.

Twin Pines, the Alabama mining company with a spotty environmental record that wants to mine Trail Ridge, has said its operations will not adversely affect the swamp, citing environmental impact studies it commissioned. The EPD agreed.

Conservationists and scientists don’t.

The Fish and Wildlife Service said it is “concerned with mining-induced changes to surface and groundwater that could result in lowered groundwater levels in Okefenokee Swamp. We believe reduced water availability will negatively impact habitat for federally listed and at-risk fish and wildlife species.”

Georgia Conservancy claims portions of the proposed mine site drain surface water directly into the swamp. Changes in groundwater flow could lower the water table in the area, having a deleterious effect on wetlands near and in the swamp. The nonprofit also said wildfires — a grave danger to the timber stands that border the refuge — would likely increase because of reduced groundwater levels.

Georgia Rivers noted that mining to a depth of even 50 feet would alter water flows away from the swamp, lowering the water table within the swamp and exposing critical irreplaceable peat deposits that store volumes of carbon.

For three sessions now, the Georgia Legislature has failed to protect the Okefenokee. Last year, legislators failed to advance two bills that would have put a moratorium on or banned mining permits near the Okefenokee. It’s frankly embarrassing that Georgia is shrugging off an existential threat to the magnificent Okefenokee Swamp.

One of the main sticking points for legislators is private property rights. The Okefenokee’s 400,000 acres are surrounded by privately owned land. Many of the owners of that land could seek mining permits of their own or seek compensation for the mineral rights to their land.

In March, Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he thinks there is a solution that protects the private property rights of landowners near the Okefenokee that also protects the Okefenokee.

Another issue for legislators and local elected officials is the 400 high-paying jobs the mine would create in a county of 4,000 people. That is obviously a game-changer for a lot of people. And though we understand the allure of those new jobs, no one can deny that the swamp is a moneymaker.

The Okefenokee, largely through tourism and recreation, supports more than 750 local jobs and drives an annual economic output of about $65 million in just the four counties surrounding it.

The governor and the Legislature have a once-in-forever chance to save Georgia’s most important natural resource.

If they fail now, it might just be gone forever.

Two people applied for appointment as Hall County Solicitor General, according to AccessWDUN.

The acting solicitor general and a Gillsville attorney have submitted their applications to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s Office to become the next solicitor general of Hall County.

Stephanie Thompson has been the acting solicitor general since former solicitor general Stephanie Woodard stepped down in August amid criminal charges and a civil suit.

“We have already improved the efficiency of our arraignment process,” Thompson said. “I’ve worked here for almost 10 years and I can’t remember a time where the office has functioned more efficiently than it has been in the last three months.”

Thompson also added that Woodard had a purchasing card when she was elected solicitor. When Thompson was sworn in back in August, she gave the card back so that the only person in the office with a purchasing card is the office manager.

Some of the allegations against Woodard included her using the solicitor office’s card to make personal purchases.

Inez Grant also submitted her application Friday, the final day allowed by the Governor’s Office to apply for the position.

Grant has worked as an attorney in Georgia since 1992. She previously worked as a prosecutor and chief assistant in the Hall County Solicitor General’s Office under previous solicitor Jerry Rylee.

Grant said several people had reached out to her asking her to apply for the position.

“I had a lot of people in the community asking me if I would consider it, and so I finally just sat down and put it all together and was like ‘well, that would be kind of a neat way to end, because I started in the Hall County Solicitor’s Office,’” Grant said. “We need some organization over there, and I just thought it would be a good idea.”

In addition to her time in the Hall County Solicitor General’s Office, she also spent several years in the Forsyth County Solicitor General’s Office, the Barrow County District Attorney’s Office and city court solicitor’s offices in Gainesville and Oakwood. Grant currently operates her own law practice in Gillsville.

After Friday’s deadline to submit applications, Kemp’s office will then review candidates before appointing a new full-time solicitor general for Hall County. There is no official timetable for that decision.

Bulloch County will swear-in new and reelected officials on Monday, December 20, 2024, according to The Statesboro Herald.

Darren Pierce was sworn in as Whitfield County Sheriff, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.

Judges, elected officials, court employees, law enforcement officers, friends and family packed the Whitfield County Probate Court courtroom Friday to watch Judge Sheri Blevins swear in Darren Pierce as sheriff.

“I’m really surprised,” said Pierce, a Republican who defeated 32-year incumbent Democrat Scott Chitwood in the November election. “We didn’t publicize this. I expected it to just be family. To have this many people turn out is a real honor.”

Pierce takes office on Jan. 1.

πThis badge is not a badge of authority,” he said. “It is a badge of trust. You all have entrusted me to fulfill my duties and to serve you. I promise you I will serve you all to the best of my abilities.”

Pierce served 18 years in the sheriff’s office, rising to sergeant and serving in that rank in both the Uniform Patrol Division and the Narcotics Unit. He obtained intermediate certification, advanced certification, supervisory certification and management certification, and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Vernon Jessie was sworn in as Terrell County Sheriff, according to WALB.

A new sheriff is coming to Terrell County for the first time in three decades.

“Terrell County is where I live, Terrell County is my home. With the right resources available and the right people in place we can make a difference,” Jessie said.

Jessie wants to work closely with local law enforcement to add new technology like flock cameras across the county.

“The city of Dawson just got some flock cameras. I will collaborate with Chief Thornton to see what process he took to get those flock cameras within the city of Dawson. If we can put some on the outskirts to catch them coming in, we can attack the issues we have,” Jessie stated.

As the custodian of the jail, maintaining an atmosphere that’s clean and safe for inmates is Vernon Jessie’s top priority.

“It’s my job to make sure that the inmates are treated fairly, make sure they are fed right, and make sure the inmates’ needs are met. As the custodian of the jail that’s what we plan on doing,” Jessie said.

“I wish Mom and my dad were here now to witness this. I am just grateful to serve a community I love so much. We are going to put a group of men and women together to make sure we make Terrell County a safer place for you to come in and our family to live.”

Vernon Jessie wants the community of Terrell County to have a positive relationship with law enforcement and he’ll begin laying the groundwork for his career as sheriff at the beginning of next year.

Eugene “Gino Rock” Brantley was sworn in as the next Sheriff for Richmond County, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

Richmond County Sheriff-elect Eugene “Gino Rock” Brantley took his oath of office Friday, 12 days before offiially taking office Jan. 1.

Running on a platform of community engagement and officer-citizen collaboration, Brantlery defeated challenger Bo Johnson in the primary and ran unopposed in the general election. Johnson will join the RCSO with the rank of colonel.

Brantley first will meet with officers in all divisions to learn about their successes and challenges, and to determine “what direction we need to go to keep our city safe and to make it safer,” he said after the ceremony.

Jordan Johnson was sworn in for a second term as Augusta City Commissioner for District 1, according to WJBF.

Johnson is also the leader of the Democratic Party of Augusta-Richmond County. The ceremony was emceed by Super District 9 Commissioner Francine Scott, and featured speeches from State Senate Democratic Caucus Leader Harold Jones II, L.C. Myles, as well as Johnson’s 4th grade teacher. Johnson was sworn into office by Judge Amanda Heath, and was surrounded by his mother and extended family.

Commissioner Johnson spoke in depth about his vision to “Reimagine Augusta”. Johnson told WJBF, “Augusta is the most potential filled city in the state, and I believe we have to reimagine what Augusta can be. We have to speak from a position of vision. Our downtown can be a destination, South Augusta can be a destination, our canal and our waterways certainly can be destinations. But not even from an attraction standpoint, what does Augusta do to support our citizens, how do we support our infrastructure needs. How do we support the needs of our community. That’s what I mean when I say reimagine Augusta.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is opening assistance centers again in Bulloch County, according to the Statesboro Herald.

For the second time, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will open a Disaster Recovery Center at the Kiwanis Fairgrounds to provide one-on-one help for local residents affected by Hurricane Helene in September and Tropical Storm Debby in August.

A FEMA assistance center was first set up in Bulloch Nov. 11-16.

“We’re here to help folks who have had trouble getting some answers to their questions,” said Debra Young, a spokesperson for FEMA. “They may not have easy access to the internet or aren’t comfortable working online. Sometimes it’s easier to speak with someone in person.”

Representatives from FEMA will be available to provide in-person support for residents with disaster-related needs or questions. State, local, and federal resources will be available to assist Bulloch County residents.

A federal disaster was declared for more than 60 counties in Georgia, including Bulloch, and that means homeowners and renters who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance.

Also, FEMA may be able to help with displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs.

If you have homeowners, renters or flood insurance, and you have not filed a claim, Young said to file as soon as possible.

Former State Senator Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) died, according to WABE.

Former Georgia Sen. Vincent Fort, a Democratic party leader in the Georgia Senate who was once a candidate for Atlanta mayor and Congress, has died. The cause of death has been cited as complications from cancer.

The loss of the 68-year-old political figure was first announced on Sunday by former Atlanta City Councilman Derrick Boazman.

A Connecticut native, Fort moved to Atlanta to pursue a Master of Arts degree in African-American history from Atlanta University in the late 1970s. Staying in the confines of Atlanta HBCUs after graduation, he would later go on to have a career as an educator at both Morehouse College and Morris Brown College.

Fort was first elected to the State Senate from the 39th District in 1996, representing sections of the City of Atlanta, East Point, College Park, Union City and unincorporated areas of Fulton County.

His most notable legislation came in the early 2000s. He proposed the state’s first anti-hate crime bill and helped pass protections against predatory loans. Both efforts were dismantled shortly after – the first by the Georgia Supreme Court and the latter by the Republican majority.

Fort became better known as a regular at protests. He was arrested several times and was not afraid of making enemies.

He regularly blasted his Republican colleagues and then-Gov. Nathan Deal at the General Assembly over their budget priorities. “When we don’t invest in healthcare, when we don’t invest in education, we all lose,” Fort said, after the state senate approved an income tax cut in 2016.

When risky loans helped fuel the foreclosure crisis in 2011, Fort stood with the people losing their homes and called out their banks directly. “You foreclosed on this woman but you can’t foreclose on a spirit and you can’t foreclose on a movement,” he said alongside one homeowner at a rally.

In 2011, the senator took on the position of Democratic whip, the number two position in the Senate Democratic caucus. He also served on the Senate committees of Appropriations, Judiciary-Civil, Judiciary-Criminal, Education and Youth, Reapportionment and Redistricting, Interstate Cooperation, Urban Affairs, and Marta Oversight.

In 2017, Fort left office to run as a candidate for the position of Mayor of Atlanta, his seat being succeeded by Democratic Sen. Nikema Williams.

“Vincent Fort has been my friend colleague, and advisor for nearly 12 years. He will go down in Atlanta’s history as a hero for civil, housing and human rights for all,” wrote Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens in a press statement. “My prayers are with his loved ones, his co-workers and audience and the unfortunate folks who never experienced his passion and fire for justice.”

The Atlanta Council also prepared a statement honoring Fort, referring to the deceased politician as “The People’s Champion.”

Here’s what I’ll say about Senator Fort: I liked him. When he was not publicly excoriating people with whom he disagreed politically, he was a nice man, learned people’s names, and you could always have a fun conversation with him, especially if you stuck to baseball and away from politics. I hold in high regard people who can disagree passionately on politics and still talk face-to-face, a quality I think we’re losing in our public discourse.