Georgia's 14th State Senate district is one of 56 districts in the Georgia State Senate. Located entirely within Fulton County, it includes portions of Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, and Sandy Springs, as well as a small slice of the city of Atlanta. The district is home to the headquarters of several major corporations, including Newell Brands, United Parcel Service, Veritiv, and WestRock.
| Georgia (U.S. state)'s 14th State Senate district | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 The 14th district since 2023. | |||
| Senator |
| ||
| Demographics | 58.9% White 27.1% Black 8.8% Hispanic 4.0% Asian 2.3% Native American 0.6% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | ||
| Population (2020) • Voting age • Citizens of voting age | 191,402[1] 145,428 132,748 | ||
The 14th district was historically located in southwestern Georgia. Its first occupant was Jimmy Carter—at the time a political newcomer—who held the seat from 1963 to 1967. Population shifts within Georgia eventually led the 14th district to be moved to the northern suburbs of Atlanta, where it remains today. Since 2023, it has been represented by Democrat Josh McLaurin. President Joe Biden carried the district by 20 points over Donald Trump in 2020, making it one of the few white-majority seats in the state to support Biden.
History
editFollowing the abolition of the county unit system in 1962, Jimmy Carter announced his intention to run for the reconfigured 14th District. His main opponent in the Democratic primary was Homer Moore, a warehouseman who had the support of powerful state Rep. Joe Hurst. Shortly before the election, Hurst informed Moore's campaign manager that he was "getting ready to stuff the ballot box" to secure Moore's victory.[2] On election night, results from Quitman County showed clear indications of fraud. Though 496 votes had been tabulated, it was later revealed that only 333 people had signed in to vote.
Carter sued in state court, drawing attention to hundreds of fake ballots that had been neatly folded and placed in a ballot box. Though he prevailed in court, Moore's name remained on the general election ballot. Ultimately, a judge ordered that the general election for the seat be a write-in contest, which Carter won handily.[2]
In 1966, Carter abandoned this seat to run unsuccessfully for governor. He was succeeded by Hugh Carter, his cousin and a staunch segregationist.
List of senators
edit| Member | Party | Years | Residence | Electoral history | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created January 14, 1963. | |||||
 Jimmy Carter |
Democratic | January 14, 1963 – January 9, 1967 |
Plains | Elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Retired to run for governor. |
Chattahoochee, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell, Webster[3] |
| Hugh Carter | Democratic | January 9, 1967 – January 12, 1981 |
Elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Retired. | ||
| Chattahoochee, Randolph, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell, Webster[4] | |||||
| Dougherty (part), Lee, Macon (part), Marion, Schley, Sumter, Taylor, Terrell[5] | |||||
| Lewis H. McKenzie | Democratic | January 12, 1981 – January 14, 1991 |
Montezuma | Elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Retired. | |
| Lee, Macon, Peach, Schley, Sumter, Taylor, Terrell[6] | |||||
 George Hooks |
Democratic | January 14, 1991 – January 8, 2013 |
Americus | Elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Resigned on January 8, 2013. | |
| Dougherty (part), Lee, Macon, Peach, Schley, Sumter, Taylor[7] | |||||
| Chattahoochee (part), Dougherty (part), Harris (part), Lee (part), Macon, Marion, Meriwether (part), Muscogee (part), Quitman, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Upson (part), Webster[8] | |||||
| Vacant from January 8, 2013, to January 14, 2013. | |||||
 Barry Loudermilk |
Republican | January 14, 2013 – September 4, 2013 |
Cassville | Redistricted from the 52nd district and re-elected in 2012. Resigned on September 4, 2013. |
Bartow (part), Cherokee (part), Cobb (part)[9] |
| Vacant from September 4, 2013, to December 12, 2013. | |||||
| Bruce Thompson | Republican | December 12, 2013 – January 9, 2023 | White | Elected to finish Loudermilk's term. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Redistricted to the 52nd district and retired to run for Labor Commissioner. | |
| Josh McLaurin | Democratic | January 9, 2023 – present | Atlanta | Elected in 2022. | Fulton (part)[10] |
References
edit- ^ "GA 2022 State Senate". Dave's Redistricting. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ a b Alter, Jonathan (September 2020). His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. pp. 118–120. ISBN 978-1-5011-2548-5.
- ^ "Georgia's Official Register 1963-1964" (PDF). Georgia Department of Archives and History. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "Georgia's Official and Statistical Register 1969-1970" (PDF). Georgia Department of Archives and History. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "Georgia Official and Statistical Register 1973-1974" (PDF). Georgia Department of Archives and History. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "Georgia Official and Statistical Register 1983-84" (PDF). Georgia Department of Archives & History. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "Members of the General Assembly of Georgia, First Session of 1993 - 1994 Term" (PDF). State of Georgia. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "Members of the General Assembly of Georgia, First Session of 2003-2004 Term" (PDF). State of Georgia. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "Senate: 2013-2014 Regular Session". Georgia General Assembly. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "Senate: 2023-2024 Regular Session (Current)". Georgia General Assembly. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
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