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Nathan Deal

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Nathan Deal
82nd Governor of Georgia
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 10, 2011
LieutenantCasey Cagle
Preceded bySonny Perdue
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 9th district
In office
January 3, 2007 – March 21, 2010
Preceded byCharlie Norwood
Succeeded byTom Graves
In office
January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003
Preceded byEd Jenkins
Succeeded byCharlie Norwood
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 10th district
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded byCharlie Norwood
Succeeded byCharlie Norwood
Member of the Georgia Senate
from the 49th district
In office
January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993
Preceded byHoward T. Overby
Succeeded byJane Hemmer
Personal details
Born
John Nathan Deal

(1942-08-25) August 25, 1942 (age 82)
Millen, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican Party (1995–present)
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Party (before 1995)
SpouseSandra Dunagan
Residence(s)Clermont, Georgia (personal)
Georgia Governor's Mansion (while in office)
Alma materMercer University (B.A., J.D.)
ProfessionLawyer
Politician
Signature
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army seal United States Army
Years of service1966–1968
Rank Captain

John Nathan Deal (born August 25, 1942) is an American politician who has been the 82nd Governor of Georgia since January 2011. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democratic Party candidate in 1992, but switched to the Republican Party in 1995. On March 1, 2010, Deal announced his resignation from Congress to run for governor of Georgia.

Deal faced a crowded field of candidates in the July Republican primary but ultimately faced former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel in a tightly contested August 10, 2010, primary runoff election, and won by fewer than 2500 votes.[1] The following day Handel declined to pursue a recount and conceded. On November 2, Democratic opponent Roy Barnes called to concede the race for governor of Georgia, making Deal the governor-elect to succeed term-limited Sonny Perdue in 2011.[2]

Deal is running for re-election as Georgia's governor in 2014.

Early life, education, and early career

Deal was born in the town of Millen and grew up in Gainesville.[3] His parents, Mary Mallard and Noah J. Deal, were teachers.[4] He attended Mercer University in Macon, where he earned his bachelor and law degrees with honors.[5] After he earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1966, he went into the United States Army, where he earned the rank of captain.[6]

Deal spent twenty-three years in private law practice. He was also a criminal prosecutor, a Northeastern Judicial Circuit judge, and a Hall County juvenile court judge. In 1980, he was elected to the Georgia Senate as a Democrat.[7][8] In November 1990, he was elected by his party to be the President Pro Tempore, the second highest ranking position in the chamber.[9] Democrat Jane R. Hemmer replaced him, but was defeated by Republican Casey Cagle.

U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2010)

Elections

Deal was first elected to Congress in November 1992 as a Democrat, succeeding eight-term incumbent Ed Jenkins in Georgia's 9th congressional district. He was re-elected as a Democrat in 1994. However, on April 11, 1995, shortly after Republicans assumed control of the US House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years, Deal joined the Republican Party, which was led by Speaker Newt Gingrich, a fellow Georgian. Years later, Gingrich said that Deal became a Republican because he liked what he saw in the Contract With America.[10][11]

Deal was handily re-elected in his first election as a Republican in the 1996 General Election, even though Jenkins endorsed his Democratic opponent, attorney McCracken "Ken" Poston. This was the first time his district had elected a Republican for a full term since Reconstruction. Deal was unopposed for re-election in 1998, 2002 and 2004 and defeated an underfunded Democratic candidate in 2000. His district was renumbered the 10th District in 2003, but became the 9th again after a mid-decade redistricting in 2006.

In November 2006, Deal was re-elected 77%–23%. His Democratic opponent was John Bradbury, a former elementary school teacher turned truck driver. His district, already heavily Republican, became even more Republican after the mid-decade redistricting pushed it further into the Atlanta suburbs.

Tenure

Deal's voting record was relatively moderate in his first term, getting ratings in the 60s from the American Conservative Union (ACU). He moved sharply to the right after his party switch and voted for all four articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton. From 1996 onward, he garnered ratings of 90 or higher from the ACU.

Nathan Deal introduced H.R. 698, the Citizenship Reform Act, which would eliminate birthright citizenship for illegal aliens in the U.S. The 14th Amendment begins "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States...." Deal's argument is that illegal aliens (and their children) are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction.[12]


Recovery Services, Inc. controversy

The Office of Congressional Ethics released a report on March 29, 2010, that concluded Deal appeared to have improperly used his office staff to pressure Georgia officials to continue the state vehicle inspection program that generated hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for his family’s auto salvage business. Deal stated: "I have done nothing wrong and am not going to let this tarnish my (...) record of public service."[13]

The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), released their investigative report (Review No. 09-1022) on March 29, 2010. The report stipulate, "Representative Nathan Deal and his business partner own Recovery Services, Inc. a/k/a Gainesville Salvage & Disposal ('GSD'), located in Gainesville, Georgia... The OCE does not take a position on Representative Deal's motivations for inserting himself into discussions of potential modifications to a state vehicle inspection program... The OCE reviews the facts as presented at the time of review and does not take a position on whether Representative Deal's income from GSD was mistakenly reported as earned income since 2006 on his federal income taxes... [F]or all the reasons stated above, the OCE Board recommends further review by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct". (Note: Report was submitted on January 28, 2010.) The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, otherwise known as the House Ethics Committee, never reported or commented on any investigation of Representative Deal,[14] as his resignation, announced March 1, 2010, excluded him from the Office of Congressional Ethics' jurisdiction.[15] Although this seemed too coincidental for some, Deal maintained in a speech to supporters that the resignation was so that he could "devote [his] full energies" to the gubernatorial campaign.[16]

Resignation

On March 1, 2010, Deal announced his intention to resign in order to focus on his campaign for Governor of Georgia.[17]

Committee assignments

Elections

2010 election for Governor

Main article: Georgia gubernatorial election, 2010

Incumbent Republican Governor Sonny Perdue was term-limited in 2010. Seven candidates filed to run in the Republican primary. In the initial Republican primary in July, no candidate received the 50% threshold to win the primary outright. Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel ranked first with 34%, qualifying for the run-off election. Deal ranked second with 23% of the vote. Candidates who didn't qualify include State Senator Eric Johnson (20%), Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine (17%), State Senator Jeff Chapman (3%), businessman Ray McBerry (3%), and businessman Otis Putnam (0%). Deal performed the strongest in the northern part of the state, where he lives and represents. However, he also won some counties in the southern part of the state, such as Candler (30%) and Tift (24%). He won five counties with a majority including his home of Hall (64%), Dade (56%), Walker (55%), White (53%), and Stephens (53%).[18]

The run-off election between Handel and Deal was very competitive. Deal was endorsed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Handel was endorsed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.[19] On August 10, Deal defeated Handel 50.2%-49.8%, a difference of just 2,519 votes. Handel performed well in the western and eastern borders of the state, as well as the counties surrounding Atlanta. She won the heavily populated Fulton County with 71%, her best performance in the state followed by Glascock (70%) and Burke (70%). Deal's two best counties were Taliaferro (80%) and Hall (79%).[20]

In the general election, he faced former governor and state senator Roy Barnes (D) and John Monds (L). Barnes previously won the 1998 gubernatorial election with 52% of the vote,[21] and lost re-election in 2002 to State Senator Sonny Perdue 51%-46%. Perdue was the first Georgia Republican Governor since Reconstruction.[22][23] Barnes has always been considered a moderate. After he lost re-election, he returned to practicing law for the last eight years until trying to make a comeback. Deal tried to connect Barnes with President Barack Obama. Barnes said "if you would listen to what is being said, you would have thought that this is an election for president of the United States." Barnes also tried to distance himself from Obama saying his health care law was "the greatest failure of political leadership in my lifetime". During the campaign trail, Deal was accused by the Office of Congressional Ethics of improperly using his congressional staff to pressure Georgia officials to continue a vehicle inspection program that he was profiting off.[24] On November 3, Deal defeated Barnes 53%-43%.[25]

2011 Ethics Investigation

In 2011, then Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission Executive Secretary Stacey Kalberman and Deputy Executive Secretary Sherilyn Streiker launched an ethics investigation into Deal's campaign finances during his 2010 gubernatorial race. According to the complaint, Deal had used state campaign funds to pay legal bills stemming from a federal ethics investigation when he was in Congress, that he had personally profited from his gubernatorial campaign's $135,000 rental of aircraft from a company he partly owned, and that he had accepted campaign contributions beyond the legal limits.[26] The campaign also paid a total of $135,000 to consulting companies which were owned by Deal's daughter-in-law and the father of Chris Riley, Deal's chief of staff.[27]

As Kalberman and Streiker were preparing to serve subpoenas to Deal on grounds of these allegations, his chief of staff, and others involved in the case, Kalberman's salary was cut by $35,000 and Streiker was ousted from her position.[28] Soon after, Kalberman was forced to resign and was replaced by Holly LaBerge, who was recruited by the governor's office. Once LaBerge assumed Kalberman's former position, the ethics investigation determined that Deal was clear of major charges. In July 2012, Deal agreed to pay $3,350 in administrative fees to resolve violations of campaign finance and disclosure laws.[29]

2014 gubernatorial election

Main article: Georgia gubernatorial election, 2014

Deal is running for re-election as Georgia's governor in 2014. His primary challenger is Democratic candidate Jason Carter.

Governor of Georgia (2011–present)

Inauguration

Deal took office as governor on January 10, the second Monday of 2011, as required by the Constitution of Georgia. He became the first Georgia governor to be inaugurated inside the Georgia State Capitol since Herman Talmadge in 1956, due to a major winter storm.

Criminal Justice Reform

During his tenure, Governor Deal took action to revolutionize Georgia’s Criminal Justice System. Deal commissioned the Georgia Criminal Justice Reform Council three years ago to specialize in analyzing problems within the system and coming up with solutions to those problems. [2] His primary belief in regards to criminal justice reform is that we should reserve mandatory minimums for violent, career criminals and “'kingpins while the ‘mules’ are given a chance at reform.” [3]

Since he took office in 2010, “prison sentences imposed on African-American offenders have dropped by 20 percent.” [4]

On April 25, 2013 Governor Deal signed HB 349 into law, which enacted a second round of criminal justice reforms. These reforms took a “smart on crime” approach and were based on recommendations from the Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform. [5]

This law gave those who, while locked up, have earned money toward college in the form of a HOPE Scholarship G-E-D Voucher the ability to use that money up to two years after their release. [6]

In addition, Gov. Deal reinvested $5M to create a voluntary grant program that gives communities incentives to offer judges more non-confinement sentencing options. These could include substance abuse treatment or family counseling. These methods have been proven to better reduce recidivism for low-risk offenders. [7]

With the help of the Council and the Vera Institute of Justice, Gov. Deal has developed extensive performance measures to track the success of previous reform to ensure they are enhancing public safety and saving taxpayer dollars. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported, “Since 2007 alone, more than three-dozen such courts have opened their doors across Georgia. In the first quarter of 2014, more than 4,100 offenders were enrolled in the state’s 105 accountability courts, and many of these participants would likely be in prison without this alternative.” [8]

In regards to the final step of criminal justice reform, re-entry, Governor Deal went a step further. On April 25, 2014 Governor Deal announced the creation of the Governor’s Interfaith Council, comprised of religious leaders across Georgia, to expand upon recent criminal justice reforms. These programs and council advisors will implement cost-effective strategies will work to increase the number of former offenders returning to the workforce and supporting their families. [9]

Safe Carry Protection Act

In 2014, Deal introduced House Bill (H.B.) 60, the Safe Carry Protection Act, referred to by critics as the "Guns Everywhere" Law.[30] Deal stated that gun rights through the United States Constitution's Second Amendment are important to people in Georgia.[30] The Safe Carry Protection Act is a controversial new law to take effect on July 1, 2014 that permits licensed gun owners to carry guns into many public and private places, including churches, school property, bars, nightclubs, libraries, and some government buildings in Georgia.[30][31][32][33][34][35] The law was supported by the Georgia Baptist Convention which includes 3,600 Baptist churches in Georgia in favor of increased church autonomy,[34] but is not supported by Catholic or Episcopalian church leaders due to their belief that it is against Jesus' teachings.[34][36] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that while 57% of Georgians believe that owning a gun protects people, 59% disapprove of the law itself.[37]

Electoral history

Georgia gubernatorial election, 2010[38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Nathan Deal 1,365,832 53.02% −4.93%
Democratic Roy Barnes 1,107,011 42.97% +4.75%
Libertarian John Monds 103,194 4.01% +0.17%
Write-ins 124 0.00%
Majority 258,821 10.05% −9.68%
Turnout 2,576,161
Republican hold Swing
Georgia's 9th congressional district: Results 1992–2000, 2006–2008;
Georgia's 10th congressional district: Results 2002–2004[39]
Year District Democratic Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
1992 9th Nathan Deal 113,024 59% Daniel Becker 77,919 41%
1994 9th Nathan Deal 79,145 58% Robert L. Castello 57,568 42%
1996 9th McCracken "Ken" Poston 69,662 34% Nathan Deal 132,532 66%
1998 9th (no candidate) Nathan Deal 122,713 100%
2000 9th James Harrington 60,360 25% Nathan Deal 183,171 75%
2002 10th (no candidate) Nathan Deal 129,242 100%
2004 10th (no candidate) Nathan Deal 219,136 100%
2006 9th John D. Bradbury 39,240 23% Nathan Deal 128,685 77%
2008 9th Jeff Scott 70,401 25% Nathan Deal 216,925 75%

See also

References

  1. ^ August 11, 2010, by Aaron Gould Sheinin (2010-08-11). "Deal defeats Handel in August 2010 Republican primary". Blogs.ajc.com. Retrieved 2013-07-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Deal defeats Barnes to take Governor's Mansion". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  3. ^ Barone, Michael; Ujifusa, Grant (1999). The Almanac of American Politics 2000. National Journal Group Inc. p. 483.
  4. ^ http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-politics/nathan-deal-b-1942
  5. ^ [1][dead link]
  6. ^ "Biography | Governor Nathan Deal Office of the Governor". Gov.georgia.gov. 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  7. ^ "The U.S. Congress Votes Database". The Washington Post.
  8. ^ "Candidate - Nathan Deal". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  9. ^ "The Albany Herald - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  10. ^ Baltimore Sun (1995-04-11). "Georgia Congressman Deserts Demos / Nathan Deal is third to switch to GOP since Nov. 8 - SFGate". Articles.sfgate.com. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  11. ^ Newt Gingrich talks about Nathan Deal in campaign video for Deal's gubernatorial bid
  12. ^ H. R. 698 (see especially section 3)
  13. ^ Published March 29, 2010, by Eric Lipton (March 29, 2010). "Ethics Report Faults Ex-Congressman". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-23.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ OCE (2010-03-26). "Review No. 09-1022" (PDF).
  15. ^ Justin Elliott (2010-03-01). "Did GOP Rep Resign To Squelch Ethics Probe?". http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/. Retrieved 2010-09-25. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ Published March 1, 2010 by Aaron Gould Sheinin and Jim Tharpe. "Deal's resignation upends state politics". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved 2010-09-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ March 1, 2010, by Aaron Gould Sheinin (2010-03-01). "Breaking: Deal says he'll resign from Congress | Gold Dome Live". Blogs.ajc.com. Retrieved 2010-08-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "GA Governor - R Primary Race - Jul 20, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  19. ^ "Karen Handel Concedes Georgia GOP Governor Runoff to Nathan Deal". CBS News. Retrieved 2013-07-19. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) [dead link]
  20. ^ "GA Governor - R Runoff Race - Aug 10, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  21. ^ "GA Governor Race - Nov 03, 1998". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  22. ^ "Handel, Deal Neck and Neck in GOP Gubernatorial Runoff". Fox News. August 11, 2010.
  23. ^ "GA - Governor Race - Nov 05, 2002". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  24. ^ Sack, Kevin (November 3, 2010). "Nathan Deal and Republicans Win in Georgia". The New York Times.
  25. ^ "GA Governor Race - Nov 02, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  26. ^ Copeland, Larry (July 16, 2014). "New ethics memo surfaces, roiling Ga. governor's race". USA Today.
  27. ^ Walls, Jim (August 28, 2011). "Probe sought Deal data". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  28. ^ Sheinin, Aaron (April 4, 2014). "Jury rules in favor of ex-ethics chief; awards $700,000 judgment". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  29. ^ Cassidy, Christina (December 12, 2013). "Subpoenas Related To Ethics Complaints Involving Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal". Huffington Post.
  30. ^ a b c Georgia law allows guns in some schools, bars, churches, CNN.com, Atlanta, GA: Cable News Network/Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., 23 April 2014, Sayers, D.M. & McLaughlin, E.C., Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  31. ^ House Bill 60, Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Georgia House of Representatives, Atlanta, GA, 2014, Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  32. ^ Ga. governor signs 'guns everywhere' into law, USA Today, New York, NY: Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc., 23 April 2014, Copeland, L. & Richards, D., Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  33. ^ Georgia governor signs 'unprecedented' gun rights bill, The Huffington Post.com, The Huffington Post.com, LLC, 23 April 2014, Lavender, P., Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  34. ^ a b c Georgia’s sweeping gun law sparks religious backlash, Time.com, 5 May 2014, Sanburn, J., Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  35. ^ Georgia lawmakers pass controversial 'guns everywhere' bill, MSNBC.com, New York, NY: NBC Universal, 21 March 2014, Richinick, M., Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  36. ^ Catholic archbishop: No guns in my churches, Newsmax.com, West Palm Beach, FL: Newsmax Media, Inc., 30 April 2014, Burke, C., Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  37. ^ http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/new-ajc-poll-shows-voters-disapprove-of-georgias-n/nfsBj/
  38. ^ "11/2/2010 - Federal and Statewide". sos.georgia.gov. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  39. ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
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