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Georgia Republicans made a sweep of statewide offices in the November 2022 election.
Here are men who will hold these statewide offices for four-year terms beginning in January, 2023. Check out their bios and, for those who answered, a fall 2022 Q and A done by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Atlanta Civic Circle.
Governor
The governor heads Georgia’s executive branch and proposes a state budget every year. The governor also names the leaders and board members that oversee state functions like public health provision and the university system.
Lieutenant Governor
The lieutenant governor is the Georgia executive branch’s second-highest member and the highest-ranking member of the Georgia senate. The job comes with some important parliamentary power, such as some committee appointments and setting the floor schedule.
They also assume the governor’s powers if the current governor temporarily can’t fulfill the responsibilities of the office.
Attorney General
The attorney general is Georgia’s highest-ranking attorney. The attorney general provides legal advice to the executive branch and represents the state of Georgia in all civil cases, as well as capital felony cases in the Supreme Court of Georgia.
State School Superintendent
Georgia’s state school superintendent oversees the Georgia Department of Education, and, with all the state’s public school systems, is in charge of educating nearly 1.7 million students. It is anticipated that Quality Based Education, the formula used to determine funding for public schools, will be revamped in the next year. The pandemic has continued to spark debate about teacher pay and education quality across K-12 schools.
Secretary of State
The secretary of state is Georgia’s top election official. The secretary of state also manages records like the state’s business registry.
Attorney General
The attorney general is Georgia’s highest-ranking attorney. The attorney general provides legal advice to the executive branch and represents the state of Georgia in all civil cases, as well as capital felony cases in the Supreme Court of Georgia.
Agriculture Commissioner
The agriculture commissioner heads the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Primarily a regulatory agency, it promotes Georgia’s agriculture industry domestically and internationally and protects consumers — the commissioner’s purview includes food safety.
Labor Commissioner
The labor commissioner heads the Georgia Department of Labor and is responsible for enforcing the state’s labor regulations, running the state unemployment office and producing statistics on Georgia’s labor market.
One of the labor commissioner’s key duties is administering unemployment insurance funds to Georgia residents.
Insurance Commissioner
The Office of Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner licenses and regulates insurance companies, ensures that their rates, rules and forms comply with state law, and investigates insurance fraud. The office also inspects buildings and houses to prevent fire.