News and analysis right to your inbox. Click to get Ballotpedia’s newsletters!

Anton Anthony

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Anton Anthony
Candidate, Georgia State Superintendent of Schools
Elections and appointments
Next election
May 19, 2026
Education
High school
Burke County High School
Bachelor's
Fort Valley State University, 2007
Ph.D
North Central Theological Seminary, 2025
Other
Augusta University, 2012
Other
Augusta University, 2015
Graduate
Augusta University, 2010
Graduate
North Central Theological Seminary, 2023
Personal
Profession
Educator and business owner
Contact

Anton Anthony (Democratic Party) is running for election for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools. Anthony declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on May 19, 2026.

Anthony completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Anton Anthony earned a high school diploma from Burke County High School, a bachelor's degree from Fort Valley State University in business management in 2007, a graduate degree from Augusta University in the art of teaching in 2010, additional education from Augusta University in 2012 and 2015, a Th.D. from the North Central Theological Seminary in 2023, and a Ph.D. from North Central Theological Seminary in biblical studies in 2025.[1][2][3]

Anthony's career experience includes working as an educator, administrator, and business owner. Anthony has been affiliated with the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and has served as a board member for the Augusta Alumni Association.[1][2]

Elections

2026

See also: Georgia Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on May 19, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools

Anton Anthony (D), Lydia Powell (D), and Otha Thornton (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools on May 19, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools

Fred Longgrear (R), Mesha Mainor (R), and Randell Trammell (R) are running in the Republican primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools on May 19, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Anton Anthony completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Anthony's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

I serve as Superintendent of Hancock County Schools in Sparta, Georgia. Over the course of my career, I have worked as a teacher, principal, district administrator, and superintendent in Burke, Muscogee, McDuffie, Sumter, Richmond, DeKalb, and Hancock counties. My experience spans rural, suburban, and urban districts across the state.

My campaign focuses on strengthening Georgia’s public education systems through improved alignment, accountability, and regional collaboration. I have expressed concern about the number of schools identified on state accountability lists and believe reform should prioritize system-level support rather than labeling schools.

I believe students do not lack ability; they often lack exposure to opportunity. My framework emphasizes strong early literacy foundations, expanded access to Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education pathways, and coordinated regional partnerships to ensure that a student’s access to opportunity is not determined by zip code.
  • I am a pastor and lifelong public educator who has served as a teacher, principal, district leader, and superintendent across Georgia. As a parent with children in public schools, I believe students must come first in every decision. I advocate for strengthening our systems so that every student, regardless of zip code, has access to strong literacy foundations, expanded Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education pathways, and meaningful exposure to opportunity. My focus is simple: equity through access, accountability through improvement, and opportunity for every child.

  • I believe all students can learn and thrive when they are engaged in meaningful work and exposed to a wide array of careers, industries, and pathways. Too often, our system narrows learning instead of expanding it. Creativity, problem-solving, innovation, and adaptability is one of the most valuable skills students need in today’s world, yet it is frequently constrained by rigid structures. I believe education must cultivate curiosity, strengthen literacy, and create environments where students are empowered to think, build, and lead.
  • I believe we must build problem-solvers, not passive learners. Education should equip students to think critically, adapt, and create solutions to real-world challenges. I also believe we must communicate the value of education with clarity and conviction helping students understand how learning connects to their future. A growth mindset is essential; failure is not an endpoint but part of the learning process. When students are taught resilience, purpose, and ownership of their progress, they are prepared not only for careers, but for leadership in their communities.
I am passionate about public policies that strengthen Georgia’s education workforce and systems. This includes modernizing teacher compensation, creating career pathways for paraprofessionals, improving pay and stability for bus drivers and support staff, and protecting educator retirement systems. I also support refining accountability measures so schools receive targeted support rather than labels. Expanding access to high-quality Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education pathways and regional collaboration models is essential to ensuring opportunity for all students.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.


Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 18, 2026
  2. 2.0 2.1 Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Anton Anthony," February 20, 2026
  3. LinkedIn, "Dr. Anton Anthony," accessed February 23, 2026