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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 Governor of the U.S. State of Georgia from 1999 to 2003. , he is the most recent Democrat to hold the office of Governor of Georgia. A Democratic member of the
Georgia Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Legal provisions The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, with the lower house being the Georgia Ho ...
from 1974 to 1990, Barnes ran unsuccessfully for Governor in
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...
, losing to
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
Zell Miller Zell Bryan Miller (February 24, 1932 – March 23, 2018) was an American author and politician from the state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as lieutenant governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as U ...
in the Democratic primary. Barnes then served in 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 ...
from 1992 to 1998. He ran for governor again in
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
, handily winning the primary and general elections. In 2003, Barnes was awarded the
Profile in Courage Award The Profile in Courage Award is a private award given to recognize displays of courage similar to those John F. Kennedy originally described in his Profiles in Courage, book of the same name. It is given to individuals (often elected officials) wh ...
by the
John F. Kennedy Library The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th president of the United States (1961–1963). It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neig ...
for his success while Governor of minimizing the Confederate battle emblem on the Georgia state flag despite the political fallout.Roy E. Barnes
''Barnes Law Group'', Marietta, GA: Barnes Law Group, 2014, Retrieved 14 May 2014.
It is widely believed that his support of the flag change significantly contributed to his re-election defeat in
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
. After his defeat, he resumed the practice of law and co-chaired the
Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. The institute's stated aim is the realization of "a free, just, and equitable society" through seminars, policy programs ...
Commission on
No Child Left Behind Act The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was a U.S. Act of Congress that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; it included Title I provisions applying to disadvantaged students. It supported standards-based education ...
. He returned to politics when he ran for governor again in 2010, losing to Republican
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 an ...
.


Early life, education, and family

Roy Barnes was born on March 11, 1948, in
Mableton, Georgia Mableton is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Mableton has a population of 40,834. Upon Brookhaven ...
. His family owned a general store, which gave him his first exposure to politics as he listened to the conversations of the store patrons. Upon his graduation from
South Cobb High School South Cobb High School is a public high school located on Clay Road, in Austell, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1952, it is part of the Cobb County School District. Clint Terza succeeded Ashley Hosey as principal in 2016. Nominated as a Natio ...
, Barnes enrolled at the
University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...
. He was active on the debate team; and spent his summers returning home to work in the family store. He graduated with a degree in history in 1969; and one year later married Marie Dobbs of
Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest ...
, with whom he has had three children. After college, Barnes enrolled in the
University of Georgia School of Law The University of Georgia School of Law (Georgia Law) is the law school of the University of Georgia, a public research university in Athens, Georgia. It was founded in 1859, making it among the oldest American university law schools in continuous ...
. While there, he was elected president of the student bar association, and was named outstanding senior. He graduated from law school in 1972 with honors, and returned to
Cobb County Cobb County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the north central portion of the state. As of 2020 Census, the population was 766,149. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta. Along wi ...
to work as a prosecutor in the
Cobb County Cobb County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the north central portion of the state. As of 2020 Census, the population was 766,149. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta. Along wi ...
District Attorney's Office after serving four months in the Army.


Georgia General Assembly


Georgia Senate

Barnes’ political career began in 1974, when he was elected by the citizens of Mableton to the
Georgia State Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Legal provisions The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, with the lower house being the Georgia Ho ...
. Upon his election, Barnes became the youngest member of the
Georgia Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Legal provisions The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, with the lower house being the Georgia Ho ...
at age 26. Barnes went on to serve eight terms in the Georgia Senate. After his second term, he was named floor leader to Governor
Joe Frank Harris Joe Frank Harris (born February 16, 1936) is an American businessman and Democratic politician who served as the 78th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1983 to 1991. Early life and career Harris was born in the Atco Mill Village o ...
, and was appointed chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. During his tenure in the Georgia Senate, he also served on the Senate Appropriations, Rules, and Transportation committees, and had a major leadership role in rewriting the Georgia constitution as chair of the Select Committee on Constitutional Revision.


1990 gubernatorial election

After eight terms in the Georgia Senate, Barnes entered the 1990 gubernatorial election. He faced Atlanta Mayor
Andrew Young Andrew Jackson Young Jr. (born March 12, 1932) is an American politician, diplomat, and activist. Beginning his career as a pastor, Young was an early leader in the civil rights movement, serving as executive director of the Southern Christian L ...
and Lt. Governor
Zell Miller Zell Bryan Miller (February 24, 1932 – March 23, 2018) was an American author and politician from the state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as lieutenant governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as U ...
in the Democratic Primary. Barnes was defeated by Miller, who later won the
election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...
and became an ally of Barnes.


Georgia House of Representatives

Barnes returned to politics in 1992, when he was elected to 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 ...
. He was appointed vice chair of the Judiciary Committee, and chair of the Subcommittee on General Law. During his tenure in the Georgia House, he also served on the Rules and Banks, and Banking Committees. Barnes was a founding board member of Georgia State Bank located in Mableton, GA. He served on the bank's board of directors from 1986 until 1997 when he resigned to run for Governor. In addition to Georgia State Bank, Barnes has been involved with other community banks in Georgia.


Governor of Georgia


1998 gubernatorial election

In 1998, Barnes ran for governor again, this time defeating Secretary of State Lewis A. Massey to win the Democratic primary. Running on the themes of education reform and health care reform, he defeated Republican businessman Guy Millner in the
general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
with a victory of 53% to 44% to become the 80th Governor of Georgia. The Democrats retained control of both houses of the
legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as ...
and retained all but two state level offices (Republicans were elected
Insurance Commissioner An insurance commissioner (or commissioner of insurance) is a public official in the executive branch of a state or territory in the United States who, along with his or her office, regulate Regulate may refer to: * Regulation * '' Regulate.. ...
and
School Superintendent In the American education system, a superintendent or superintendent of schools is an administrator or manager in charge of a number of public schools or a school district, a local government body overseeing public schools. All school principa ...
).


Record as governor

In January 1999 after being elected governor, Barnes’ first act of his new administration was to sign an order banning all lobbyist gifts to the 56,000 employees working in the state government's executive branch. Barnes also took executive action to change the flag of the state of Georgia, despite vocal opposition.Embattled battle flag
''Georgia Trend'', Norcross, GA: Georgia Trend, February 2004, Young, N., Retrieved 14 May 2014.
The
state flag In vexillology, a state flag is either the flag of the government of a sovereign state, or the flag of an individual federated state (subnational administrative division). Government flag A state flag is a variant of a national flag (or occ ...
had featured the Confederate battle emblem since 1956. Barnes' education reform measures included eliminating tenure for newly hired teachersTeacher group lobbies against ending tenure
''Savannahnow.com'', Savannah, GA: Savannah Morning News, 8 February 2000, Jones, W.C., Retrieved 14 May 2014.
and ending
social promotion Social promotion is the practice of promoting a student (usually a general education student, rather than a special education student) to the next grade after the current school year, regardless of if they learned the necessary material or if the ...
by requiring students to pass a test before advancing to the next grade.Barnes calls for end of social promotion
''The Augusta Chronicle'', Augusta, GA: The Augusta Chronicle, 9 February 2001, Morris News Service: Williams, D., Martin, J., Sparks, P., Retrieved 14 May 2014.
Teachers did not support his proposals for ending tenure and other protections for new teachers, but Georgia's Department of Education supported his calls for ending social promotion. Georgia's Child Advocate Office within Georgia's Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) was established by Barnes as a result of the death of five-year-old Terrell Peterson, whose care was under State supervision at the time of his death.State failed Terrell Peterson, Barnes says at bill signing
''Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children'', reprinted with permission from ''Atlanta Journal Constitution'', Atlanta, GA: Cox Interactive Media; 7 April 2000, Martz, R., Retrieved 14 May 2014.
Barnes signed the Terrell Peterson Act to protect children at risk of death due to abuse, also as a result of Terrell's death. Barnes proposed highway safety measures to curb teen driving in an attempt to save lives of young drivers who are killed in automobile crashes. Barnes proposed a curfew for teens at 10 pm, a limit on passengers riding in their vehicles, and a ban on 16-year-olds driving without adult supervision in 18 Metropolitan Atlanta counties. Further, Barnes supported the building of the Northern Arc, an outer perimeter north of Atlanta, which met with opposition from the locals. During most of his tenure, his former law partner, State Senator Charles B. Tanksley, who is now a current law partner, served as his floor manager in the
Georgia Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Legal provisions The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, with the lower house being the Georgia Ho ...
.


2002 gubernatorial election

Facing re-election, Barnes lost in an upset in November 2002 as part of a larger Republican midterm sweep. Although some commentators have pointed to the ire of voters opposing the flag change and his upsetting of teachers as leading to his defeat, the cause was finally attributed toward a strong shift to GOP within that election cycle across many offices in the State of Georgia, at that time. Barnes was defeated by
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 ...
, the first Republican to be elected Governor of Georgia since
Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...
. According to the February 2004 issue of ''Georgia Trend'', "Democrat Roy Barnes was one of the most powerful governors in history. His nickname 'King Roy' was an affectionate term accorded him by supporters because he knew how to pull the levers and make things happen in the legislature." Barnes was also known as a powerful 'suburban governor.'


Return to legal career

Following his defeat, Barnes decided to lend his talents to a legal aid organization, the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc., working for six months as a full-time volunteer. During this time, he provided legal advice to indigent clients
pro bono ( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...
, and established a website outlining the rights of consumers: www.myconsumerrights.com.


Profile in Courage Award

For his leadership in minimizing the Confederate battle emblem on the Georgia state flag despite the political fallout, Barnes was awarded the 2003
Profile in Courage Award The Profile in Courage Award is a private award given to recognize displays of courage similar to those John F. Kennedy originally described in his Profiles in Courage, book of the same name. It is given to individuals (often elected officials) wh ...
by the
John F. Kennedy Library The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th president of the United States (1961–1963). It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neig ...
.


Barnes Law Group

Upon completing his service at Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Barnes founded the Barnes Law Group with his daughter, Allison Barnes Salter; son-in-law, John Salter; and long-time law partner, Charles Tanksley.Attorneys
''Barnes Law Group'', Marietta, GA: Barnes Law Group, 2014, Retrieved 14 May 2014.
The Barnes Law Group continues Barnes' private law practice which began in 1975 when he formed his first law firm.


Georgia Supreme Court rulings as attorney

The Georgia Supreme Court, on June 11, 2007, unanimously dismissed a legal challenge to the state's voter ID law.State Supreme Court dismisses legal challenge to voter ID law
''Online Athens'', Athens, GA: Athens Banner-Herald, 11 June 2007, Retrieved 14 May 2014.
Barnes argued before the court that the voter identification law was unconstitutional because Plaintiff Rosalind Lake - a first-time voter after having moved to Georgia - did not have a driver's license, and was therefore excluded in a discriminatory manner. The state's highest court, however, stated that Lake, the only plaintiff in the case, had photograph identification through MARTA, the area's mass transit system, as a result of needed disability access to it, that would have qualified her to vote in July 2006, so she did not have legal standing to file suit. Justice Harold Melton wrote that since Lake had photograph identification that was acceptable for voting, in-person, under the 2006 Act, she did not have standing to challenge the state's voter identification law as an unconstitutional restriction on her voting rights. Previously, Georgians could show one of 17 forms of identification, including those without photos, such as utility bills, to check in at the polls. Supporters said it would increase voter confidence through a better verification process. Legislators revised the law and made it easier for people to get free photo cards for voting, but the rules were repeatedly barred from implementation until early 2008.


Aspen Institute Commission on No Child Left Behind

On February 14, 2006, the
Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. The institute's stated aim is the realization of "a free, just, and equitable society" through seminars, policy programs ...
announced the forming of the Commission on
No Child Left Behind The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was a U.S. Act of Congress that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; it included Title I provisions applying to disadvantaged students. It supported standards-based educatio ...
. Barnes, along with former Secretary of Health and Human Services
Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served ...
, was named co-chair of the commission. According to its mission, the commission "is a bipartisan effort to identify and build support for improvements in federal education policy to spur academic achievement and close persistent achievement gaps."


2010 gubernatorial election

Barnes announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Georgia in the 2010 election on June 3, 2009 in his hometown of
Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest ...
. Barnes’ campaign, Roy 2010, emphasized growing jobs, securing water sources, improving education, and expanding transportation options. Barnes won the 2010 Democratic Primary on July 20, 2010, and faced off against Republican
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 an ...
and
Libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's enc ...
John Monds. On November 2, 2010, Barnes conceded to Deal as the Republican rode a wave of GOP backing in the
2010 midterm elections The 2010 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, in the middle of Democratic President Barack Obama's first term. Republicans ended unified Democratic control of Congress and the presidency by winning a majority in the H ...
.


Electoral history


See also


References


External links


Roy Barnes for Governor
''official campaign site''
Barnes Law Group

Roy Barnes
at the
New Georgia Encyclopedia The ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' (NGE) is a web-based encyclopedia containing over 2,000 articles about the state of Georgia. It is a program of Georgia Humanities (GH), in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, the University System ...

Lawmakers Flashbacks
at
Georgia Public Broadcasting Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) is a state network of PBS member television stations and NPR member radio stations serving the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission, an agency of the Ge ...

Profile in Courage Award
from the
John F. Kennedy Library The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th president of the United States (1961–1963). It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neig ...

Commission on No Child Left Behind
at the
Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. The institute's stated aim is the realization of "a free, just, and equitable society" through seminars, policy programs ...
* , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Roy 1948 births Democratic Party governors of Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Democratic Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators Living people Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives People from Mableton, Georgia University of Georgia alumni American United Methodists Candidates in the 2010 United States elections