# Georgia's 14th Senate district

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.
The 14th district was historically located in southwestern Georgia. From 1963 to 1967, it was represented by Jimmy Carter. Carter was elected as a political newcomer, and would later go on to serve as governor of Georgia and president of the United States. 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

Following 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. 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.
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

| Member | Party | Years | Residence | Electoral history | Counties |
| R. T. Cooper | Democratic | January 1943 – January 1945 | Cochran | Elected in 1942. | Bleckley, Dooly, Pulaski |
| Virgil Clyde Daves | Democratic | January 1945 – January 1947 | Vienna | Elected in 1944. | Bleckley, Dooly, Pulaski |
| E. O. Richardson | Democratic | January 1947 – January 1949 | Hawkinsville | Elected in 1946. | Bleckley, Dooly, Pulaski |
| James M. Dykes | Democratic | January 1949 – January 1951 | Cochran | Elected in 1948. | Bleckley, Dooly, Pulaski |
| Ernest Hayes | Democratic | January 1951 – January 1953 | Vienna | Elected in 1950. | Bleckley, Dooly, Pulaski |
| Pete Pettey | Democratic | January 1953 – January 1955 | Hawkinsville | Elected in 1952. | Bleckley, Dooly, Pulaski |
| James M. Dykes | Democratic | January 1955 – January 1957 | Cochran | Elected in 1954. | Bleckley, Dooly, Pulaski |
| Clint B. Brannen | Democratic | January 1957 – January 1959 | Unadilla | Elected in 1956. | Bleckley, Dooly, Pulaski |
| Robert L. Slade Jr. | Democratic | January 1959 – January 1961 | Hawkinsville | Elected in 1958. | Bleckley, Dooly, Pulaski |
| James M. Dykes | Democratic | January 1961 – January 14, 1963 | Cochran | Elected in 1960. | Bleckley, Dooly, Pulaski |
| 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 |
| Hugh Carter | Democratic | January 9, 1967 – January 12, 1981 | Plains | 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, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell, Webster |
| Hugh Carter | Democratic | January 9, 1967 – January 12, 1981 | Plains | 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 |
| Hugh Carter | Democratic | January 9, 1967 – January 12, 1981 | Plains | 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. | Dougherty (part), Lee, Macon (part), Marion, Schley, Sumter, Taylor, Terrell |
| 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. | Dougherty (part), Lee, Macon (part), Marion, Schley, Sumter, Taylor, Terrell |
| 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 |
| 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. | Lee, Macon, Peach, Schley, Sumter, Taylor, Terrell |
| 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 |
| 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. | Chattahoochee (part), Dougherty (part), Harris (part), Lee (part), Macon, Marion, Meriwether (part), Muscogee (part), Quitman, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Upson (part), Webster |
| Chattahoochee (part), Dougherty (part), Harris (part), Lee (part), Macon, Marion, Meriwether (part), Muscogee (part), Quitman, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Upson (part), Webster |||||
| 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) |
| Bartow (part), Cherokee (part), Cobb (part) |||||
| 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. | Bartow (part), Cherokee (part), Cobb (part) |
| Josh McLaurin | Democratic | January 9, 2023 – present | Atlanta | Elected in 2022. | Fulton (part) |