Joan Garner ****RUNOFF CANDIDATE****

District 6 - Fulton County Commission

“I am honored and humbled to have the early support of Georgia Equality, which serves an important function for the LGBT community and for the community at large,” says Garner, who is running for the seat currently held by Nancy Boxill, who after 23 years on the Commission has announced her decision not to seek a sixth term. “This endorsement recognizes that my work with the LGBT community and broader communities can be extended, representing all of us in addressing the crucial issues of Fulton County, including public safety, public health, transportation and more.”

Joan Garner is a long-time community leader and non-profit executive. In addition to her extensive non-profit leadership career within organizations supporting social justice, Garner’s more than 20-year civic resume includes 12 years of direct service to Fulton County, on the boards of the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library, the Library’s Foundation and on the Fulton County Arts Council (on which she continues to serve). As long ago as 1989 she served on the transition team for Mayor-elect Maynard Jackson, who later appointed Garner a senior advisor on gay and lesbian issues; in doing so, he set a precedent of gay community input directly at the mayoral level. Recently, she advised Mayor Kasim Reed’s transition efforts.

“One of the reasons I entered this race is to ensure that this diverse community continues to prosper,” Garner says, “and that it does so with the active participation of people from all walks of life across District 6 and beyond. I look forward to accomplishing that in partnership with Georgia Equality.”

A Washington, DC, native, Garner has been in Atlanta since 1978, making her home in various neighborhoods across the district. She now resides in the historic Old Fourth Ward neighborhood with her partner of 11 years.

WANT A CAMPAIGN SIGN FOR YOUR YARD OR WINDOW?
Please e-mail drew@garnerforcommissioner.com or call (404) 832-JOAN (5626) with yard sign requests. Or, you may arrange to pick up a sign at the Georgia Equality office on Dekalb Ave - please call 404-523-3070 ext. 1, or email geinfo@georgiaequality.org.

Rob Teilhet (Lost)

State Attorney General

Rob Teilhet (pronounced tuh-lay) has represented Smyrna and Marietta in the Georgia House of Representatives since his election in 2002 at the age of 28.  He is the Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus and serves on the Judiciary, Education, and Industrial Relations Committees.  He is widely known as a champion in the General Assembly for protecting Georgians from rip-offs and con artists. He is a partner in the Marietta law firm of Rogers, Strimban & Teilhet.  Teilhet says his campaign for Attorney General will focus on crime prevention, ethics in government, and consumer protection.

George Sneed (Lost)

District 65 - State House

George Sneed is 38 and a husband and father of two daughters. Professionally he is a registered nurse of 14 years, and is employed by Emory University Hospital Midtown where he works in the emergency department. George and his family have been residents of South Fulton for almost 14 years. He has been involved politically since 1991, and always a Democrat for over 20 years. George has worked on political campaigns in the metropolitan area as manager, staffer, and fellow. In 2009, George was a candidate for the first time in the special election to replace Kasim Reed in Senate District 35. He is running for State Representative District 65 against Sharon Beasley Teague in the July 20th primary because he believes that the District is on the wrong track. Legislatively, he has been a citizen lobbyist advocating for education reform, women's health, and hate crime bills. He is a supporter of the LGBT community and its legislative agenda, and has been endorsed by Atlanta Stonewall Democrats.

Carlotta Harrell (Lost)

District 76 - State House

I am a native of Atlanta, educated in Atlanta Public Schools, and received my Bachelor Degree in Public Administration from Brenau University, located in Gainesville, GA. I have spent the last 12 years as a Business Management Professional and Consultant in the private and public sector. Also during those 12 years I served as a substitute teacher in our local public school system. My experience in working with nonprofit and community organizations, local municipalities, and state agencies in development of affordable housing, mixed use development projects and other community based projects, I believe best qualifies me to represent the citizens of Clayton County House District 76 and all Georgians.
 
I served 16 years as a Law Enforcement Official serving and protecting Georgia Citizens both local and statewide. I have served as a community and education activist and volunteer for nonprofit organizations and community groups for over 20 years. It will be my honor and privilege to serve the people of Georgia in the House of Representatives. I support LGBT in their efforts to create equal rights for all people and look forward to working together in the upcoming legislative session.

Darshun Kendrick ****RUNOFF CANDIDATE****

District 94 - House

Dar'shun Kendrick was born in Atlanta, GA and raised in South DeKalb County. She attended DeKalb County public schools and graduated from Towers High School (Decatur, GA) in 2000 at the top of her class. During that time, she interned part-time for then-Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney at her district office in downtown Decatur. After graduation from Towers, she attended Oglethorpe University (North DeKalb) on a partial scholarship and double majored in political science and communications, graduating cum laude in 2004.

Upon graduation from Oglethorpe University, Dar'shun attended the University of Georgia School of Law and obtained her law degree from that university in May of 2007. She passed the Georgia bar in November of 2007 and began working as a civil litigator at a small downtown Atlanta law firm. Subsequently, she became the Communications Director for Young Democrats of DeKalb where she currently still serves this position. She now is the owner of Kendrick Law Practice which is based in Lithonia, Georgia and she practices in the area of business law exclusively. She is actively involved in the business community in DeKalb and Rockdale counties. Recently she has been working with Lithonia city council members and local business owners to revitalize the Lithonia Business Association. Additionally she works with the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce to service business owners and speak and local high schools, which she has also recently done for her alma mater Towers High. She is a Member of the DeKalb Chamber, DeKalb Bar Association, Georgia Association of Black Woman Attorneys, and Decatur Business Association. She has been a Member of Divine Faith Ministries International, located in Jonesboro, Georgia, for over eighteen (18) years.

Gail Davenport (Won)

District 44 - State Senate

Gail Davenport has strong track record of civil rights, community activism, and political involvement.  Her involvement with civil rights issues stems from her belief that equal protection and due process are fundamental to the democratic process.  While serving in the State Senate, Sen. Davenport sponsored or co-sponsored several pieces of legislation to create a better quality of life for the citizens of Clayton County and Henry County. 

She was a delegate to the 1988, 2004, and 2008 Democratic National Convention.  Also, Sen. Davenport served on the Executive Committee of the Clayton County Democratic Party.  Currently, Sen. Davenport serves as the President of the Rainbow/PUSH chapter for Clayton, Henry, Fayette, and Spalding Counties.  A realtor/realtist with over 30 years of experience, Sen. Davenport knows that fair and accessible housing is the cornerstone of our society.  Sen. Davenport is graduate of W.A. Fountain High School, Spelman College, and Leadership Clayton.

Alisha Thomas Morgan (Won)

District 39 - State House

A courageous champion for justice, equality and empowering communities, Alisha Thomas Morgan made history at age 23 by becoming the first African-American to serve in the Georgia House of
Representatives for Cobb County. Elected to her fourth term in November 2008, winning over 72% of the vote, at age 31 Morgan remains the youngest female member of the entire Georgia General Assembly. A rising star on the national scene, Morgan helped develop the Young Elected Officials Network - a national non-profit program she helped developed, dedicated to connecting and supporting progressive elected leaders under the age of 35. Morgan is also a sought-after speaker and trainer, with clients including the Harvard University Black Policy Conference, the Yale University Women's Campaign School, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and numerous other national agencies and organizations. Morgan has gained noteworthy accolades from colleagues, state and national advocacy organizations alike. Morgan has also been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and on both CSPAN and BET.

Morgan is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Sociology and Drama. She resides in Austell, GA with husband David, a member of the Cobb County School Board, and daughter Lailah.

Sheila Jones (Won)

District 44 - State House

Improving the quality of life in all of our communities is at the forefront of Representative Jones' legislative agenda. She has a longstanding history of community leadership.  She has also been active in the Fulton County and State Democratic Party, the National Council of Negro Women Inc., the National Women's Political Caucus and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  Representative Jones has a devoted commitment to working with the elderly and also protecting and providing quality health care for women and children.

For over 28 years, Representative Jones has been employed with Lockheed Martin Company in Marietta, and for over 28 years has been a member of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, where she has held many high ranking positions. Prior to being elected to the Legislature, Sheila served as the voice of more than 9,000 machinists while lobbying on Capitol Hill for better wages, unemployment benefits and workers compensation benefits for the workers in Georgia . Representative Jones is no stranger to the legislative process, and she is working hard to make sure the concerns of our community are heard at the State Capitol!

Representative Jones is a Board member of: The ACLU of Georgia.

Rashad Taylor (Won)

District 55 - State House

Mr. Rashad Taylor was born and raised in Washington, DC. He is a graduate of the Woodrow Wilson Senior High School of International Studies and is a proud product of the DC Public Schools System. Rashad began his college matriculation at Morehouse College, in Atlanta, Georgia, with a major in international relations.  Rashad worked closely with Senator Fort on the passage of the State's first hate crimes law, legislation curbing the pimping and pandering of young children, and the nation's toughest law against predatory lending.  Rashad also worked as the State Finance Assistant for US Senator Max Cleland's re-election campaign.

During the 2007 Legislative Session Rashad was Legislative Coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Georgia, organizing the group's lobbying efforts at the State Capitol. In June 2007, Rashad became Political Director for the Democratic Party of Georgia. In May 2007, Rashad was named as a Rising Star in national politics by Campaigns and Elections Magazine.

In addition to his political work, Rashad is also an active member of his community. He is a founding member and served on the Executive Committee for Atlanta Jobs with Justice. He served three years on the Board of Directors for NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia and the Youth Task Force, the oldest civil and human rights organization founded by young people of color.

Billy Mitchell (Won)

District 88 - State House

As the Democratic nominee for the House of Representatives, he was elected that November with over 70% of the vote to represent what is now the 88th Legislative District. His constituents reside in most of Stone Mountain, parts of Tucker and Lithonia in DeKalb County and parts of Gwinnett County. Upon his swearing-in, among the committees the Speaker of the House of Representatives appointed Billy to include, being designated to serve as secretary of the Congressional & Legislative Reapportionment Committee, which is unusual for a first-term legislator to serve in a leadership capacity on a standing committee. Further making history, he was elected by his peers to serve as secretary of the powerful Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, becoming the first freshman legislator to serve as an officer of the largest legislative Black caucus in the nation. He also became the first freshman member of the General Assembly to serve on a legislative oversight committee when he was appointed to Georgia's Recreational Overview Committee, which is responsible for the legislative and policy oversight of the state's parks and recreation facilities, which includes Georgia's most visited facility, Stone Mountain Park.

He also presently serves as a member of the Democratic Party of Georgia's State Committee; and chair of the Government Affairs Committee o f the 100 Black Men of America - DeKalb County Chapter, among many other affiliations.

Pedro Marin (Won)

District 96 - State House

Rep. Pedro Marin has honorably served House District 96 in the Georgia General Assembly for the past eight years. He has been at the forefront in stopping gang violence, eradicating gang graffiti, and supporting economic development initiatives for Gwinnett County and Georgia. He currently serves on the House Banks and Banking, Industrial Relations, and Economic Development and Tourism Committees.  Rep. Marin has led numerous community organizing efforts to register voters, protect minorities from unfair treatment, and raise awareness about health disparities. He has worked hard to improve relations between Gwinnett County government and the Immigrant community by serving as an advisor and intermediary. He is a longtime supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and has received numerous awards for diversifying troops. He has received several awards for his public service and volunteerism from a number of organizations, including: The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Korean American Foundation of Greater Atlanta, Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful and the National Hispanic Caucus of State legislators, just to name a few.

Rep. Marin was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. While working for Persol, North America, he transferred from San Juan to Gwinnett County in 1995. He has been happily married to his wife, Nereida, for 27 years and has one son, Joel, who works for the Boy Scouts of America and is a recent graduate at Georgia State University.

Vincent Fort (Won)

District 39 - State Senate

Senator Fort is serving his sixth term in the Georgia State Senate.  He was first elected in 1996 and has been reelected five times.  He serves on the Judiciary, Education, State Properties and Institutions, Appropriations, and Reapportionment Committees.

His district includes part of Atlanta and East Point.

As part of his ongoing commitment to working families, Senator Fort was the first author of Georgia's predatory lending law, which, until recently, was the strongest law in the country.  He has been on the forefront for providing a safer Georgia, sponsoring and co-sponsoring bills against prostitution, hate crimes, drug-related nuisances, discrimination against citizens with disabilities, racial profiling, disabled access to housing, and collective bargaining for law enforcement officers.

Senator Fort received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in American History at Central Connecticut State College and his Masters Degree in African-American History from Atlanta University.