Dee Dawkins-Haigler
Dawkins-Hagler in 2018
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
In office
June 16, 2008 – January 9, 2017
Preceded byWalter Ronnie Sailor Jr.
Succeeded byVernon Jones
Constituency
  • 93rd district (2008–2013)
  • 91st district (2013–2017)
Personal details
Born
Dorothea Hawkins

(1970-01-31) January 31, 1970
Political partyDemocratic
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

  1. 1 2 3 "Dawkins-Haigler runs for re-election to House District 91". The Covington News. May 16, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ Gould Sheinin, Aaron (January 19, 2013). "Lithonia lawmaker gets caucus post". The Atlanta Constitution. p. B3. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Green, Linda. "Local NAACP to hold sixth freedom fund banquet June 22". The McDuffie Progress. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "State representative battling breast cancer renews medical marijuana fight". WSB-TV. July 23, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  7. ↑ Torres, Kristina (November 10, 2015). "Minority lawmakers in Georgia push their own path on medical". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  8. ↑ "AJC Election Central". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 22, 2014. p. B6. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Election 2016: Recount sought in Georgia Senate District 43 race". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. August 9, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  10. ↑ Niesse, Mark. "Anderson's narrow runoff win for Ga. Senate confirmed". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  11. ↑ "2018 Georgia Primary Election Results". The Atlanta Voice. May 25, 2018. p. 6. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Georgia voting law criticized by Democrats running for elections chief". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Bee Nguyen, Dee Dawkins-Haigler in Democratic SoS runoff". Associated Press. April 20, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  14. ↑ Kaur, Brahmjot (June 21, 2022). "Bee Nguyen wins Democratic runoff primary for secretary of state in Georgia". NBC News. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ Thomas, Malia (May 10, 2022). "Dawkins-Haigler stumps in Valdosta". Valdosta Daily Times. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ Mitchell, Kathy (April 13, 2022). "Mother-daughter make politics a family affair". The Champion. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  19. ↑ "S.C. early voting bas begun: What you need to know". WRDW-TV. May 30, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Dawkins-Haigler honored with President's Lifetime Achievement Award". On Common Ground News. January 19, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
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