Chris Stephens
Chris Stephens (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Georgia's 12th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
Stephens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Chris Stephens was born in Loris, South Carolina. He graduated from Loris High School. He earned an associate degree from Horry-Georgetown Technical College in 1999, a bachelor's degree from Coastal Carolina University in 2010, and a graduate degree from Augusta University in 2024. His career experience includes working in public service, as a police officer, and in emergency dispatch.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Georgia's 12th Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for U.S. House Georgia District 12
Tracell Peace-Nichols, Ceretta Smith, Chris Stephens, Brianna Woodson, and Tori Branum are running in the general election for U.S. House Georgia District 12 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Tracell Peace-Nichols (D) | ||
 | Ceretta Smith (D)  | |
 | Chris Stephens (D) | |
 | Brianna Woodson (D) | |
 | Tori Branum (R) | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Chris Stephens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Stephens' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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At 16, I joined the police explorers program, and by 18, I was serving as an emergency dispatcher. At 21, I became a police officer — a role I held for 15 years. I know what it means to stand on the front lines, to listen when people are at their most vulnerable, and to serve with integrity.
Service has always been at the center of my life. I led an LGBTQ+ community center that provided support, resources, and a safe place for people and their families. I also built a small business from the ground up while working full time and earning an associate degree in criminal justice, a bachelor’s in political science, and a master’s in public administration.
I’m running for Congress because I believe every person deserves a fair shot — to work, to raise a family, to live with dignity. My campaign is built on three principles: Community, Fairness, and Dignity. Those aren’t just words. They’re the values I’ve lived by my entire life. And that’s the kind of leadership I’ll take to Congress.
I’m not a career politician. I’m a career public servant.- Strong communities don’t happen by accident. They are built through safe neighborhoods, good schools, affordable housing, and local businesses that keep our economy moving. They grow when families have access to fresh food, kids have safe places to play, and neighbors have spaces to come together. As your Congressman, I’ll fight to make sure GA-12 gets its fair share of resources and investment.
- Fairness is dignity in action — and it’s how we make sure every family in GA-12 gets a fair shot. Fairness means that if you work hard, you ought to be able to support your family. It means our veterans shouldn’t have to fight the VA to get the benefits they’ve earned. It means your zip code shouldn’t determine your access to healthcare, good schools, or job opportunities. As your Congressman, I’ll fight for fairness by: Raising wages and lowering costs I’ll fight for policies that help working families — from raising wages to lowering the cost of prescription drugs and utilities. Tax fairness I’ll work toward a tax system where corporations and the wealthiest pay their share, so working families and small businesses aren’t carrying
- Dignity Every person deserves to live with dignity. No matter who you are, where you come from, or what stage of life you’re in, you should be treated with respect and valued for your contribution to our community. For me, dignity means respect in action. It means making sure seniors can retire without fear, veterans get the care they earned, and working families don’t have to sacrifice their health or their children’s future just to get by.
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
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate U.S. House Georgia District 12 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 8, 2025
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