Dee Dawkins-Haigler | |
|---|---|
 Dawkins-Hagler in 2018 | |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives | |
| In office June 16, 2008 – January 9, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Walter Ronnie Sailor Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Vernon Jones |
| Constituency |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dorothea Hawkins January 31, 1970 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | Lithonia, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | |
Dee Dawkins-Haigler (née Dorothea Dawkins; January 31, 1970) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. A Democrat, she was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives representing the state's 91st district from 2008 until 2017. She has also run twice as a candidate for secretary of state of Georgia. She is a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Early life and education
Dawkins-Haigler attended South Carolina State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science. She earned a Master of Public Administration from Kentucky State University, a Master of Divinity in theology and ethics from Interdenominational Theological Center's Turner Theological Seminary, and is a doctoral candidate in political science at Clark Atlanta University.[1]
Career
Dawkins-Haigler is a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is the associate pastor at First St. Paul AME Church in Lithonia, Georgia.[1]
In 2008, Dawkins-Haigler ran in a special election for the 93rd district of the Georgia House of Representatives, to succeed Walter Ronnie Sailor Jr., who resigned the seat. Dawkins-Haigler finished in first place in the primary election on May 13, advancing to a runoff election against Malik Douglas. She won the runoff election on June 10. She faced a primary election for the 2016 general elections on July 15.[2] She entered into a rematch against Douglas, and defeated him in the runoff election on August 5.[3]
Dawkins-Haigler was elected chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus in January 2013.[4] She also served as the chaplain for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.[5] In the Georgia House, Dawkins-Haigler worked to ensure that sickle-cell anemia was covered under Georgia's medical cannabis program.[6][7] Dawkins-Haigler ran for reelection in 2010, 2012, and 2014.[1][8]
Dawkins-Haigler did not seek re-election to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2016. Instead, she was a candidate to represent the 43rd district of the Georgia State Senate, which was represented by Republican JaNice Van Ness. She advanced to a runoff election against Tonya Anderson. In the runoff, Anderson led Dawkins-Haigler in the official vote count by 0.12 percent (4,276 votes to 4,266 votes), leading to Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp to order a recount.[9] The recount confirmed Anderson's victory over Dawkins-Haigler by 10 votes.[10]
In the 2018 election, Dawkins-Haigler ran for Georgia Secretary of State; she faced John Barrow and RJ Hadley in the primary election. Barrow received the majority of the vote in the primary election, winning the Democratic nomination without a runoff; Dawkins-Haigler finished second.[11] She was again a candidate for secretary of state in the 2022 election.[12] In the primary election, she received 19 percent of the vote, second to Bee Nguyen, who received 44 percent.[13] Nguyen defeated Dawkins-Haigler in the June 21 runoff election to become the Democratic nominee.[14]
Personal life
Dawkins-Haigler and her husband, David Haigler, met while attending South Carolina State University.[15] They have four children.[16] Her mother, Peggy Butler, involved Dawkins-Haigler in community work, including with the NAACP, from a young age. Butler served as a city councilor and as mayor pro tem for West Columbia, South Carolina.[17] Butler is a candidate for secretary of state of South Carolina in 2022.[18][19]
Dawkins-Haigler was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She had surgery twice and underwent radiation therapy.[6]
Dawkins-Haigler received the President's Call to Service Award in 2017, in the final days of President Barack Obama's administration. It recognised her work including over 4,000 hours of volunteering.[20]
References
- ^ a b c "Dawkins-Haigler runs for re-election to House District 91". The Covington News. May 16, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ Markiewicz, David (June 19, 2008). "Busy stretch as Sailor's successor keeps on campaigning". The Atlanta Constitution. p. JE12. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Salzer, James (August 6, 2008). "Capitol to see shake-up with some lawmakers". The Atlanta Constitution. p. D3. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gould Sheinin, Aaron (January 19, 2013). "Lithonia lawmaker gets caucus post". The Atlanta Constitution. p. B3. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Green, Linda. "Local NAACP to hold sixth freedom fund banquet June 22". The McDuffie Progress. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ a b "State representative battling breast cancer renews medical marijuana fight". WSB-TV. July 23, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ Torres, Kristina (November 10, 2015). "Minority lawmakers in Georgia push their own path on medical". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ "AJC Election Central". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 22, 2014. p. B6. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Election 2016: Recount sought in Georgia Senate District 43 race". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. August 9, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ Niesse, Mark. "Anderson's narrow runoff win for Ga. Senate confirmed". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ "2018 Georgia Primary Election Results". The Atlanta Voice. May 25, 2018. p. 6. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Georgia voting law criticized by Democrats running for elections chief". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ "Bee Nguyen, Dee Dawkins-Haigler in Democratic SoS runoff". Associated Press. April 20, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Kaur, Brahmjot (June 21, 2022). "Bee Nguyen wins Democratic runoff primary for secretary of state in Georgia". NBC News. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
- ^ Huff, Christopher (May 11, 2018). "S.C. State alumna to grads: You're ready for the future". The Times and Democrat. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
- ^ Thomas, Malia (May 10, 2022). "Dawkins-Haigler stumps in Valdosta". Valdosta Daily Times. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
- ^ Angle, Monique (October 28, 2002). "Butler fights for West Columbia". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. p. A1, A7. Retrieved May 26, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mitchell, Kathy (April 13, 2022). "Mother-daughter make politics a family affair". The Champion. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ "S.C. early voting bas begun: What you need to know". WRDW-TV. May 30, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
- ^ "Dawkins-Haigler honored with President's Lifetime Achievement Award". On Common Ground News. January 19, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
External links
This page was last edited on 29 February 2024, at 23:11