Deborah Jackson (Georgia)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Deborah Jackson

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Princeton University, 1974

Law

Rutgers Law School, 1977

Ph.D

Southern New Hampshire University, 2009

Personal

Birthplace

Savannah, Ga.

Profession

Attorney, consultant

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Deborah Jackson (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. Senate to represent Georgia. She lost in the special general election on November 3, 2020.

Jackson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Deborah Jackson was born in Savannah, Georgia. She earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University in 1974. She earned a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law in 1977. She earned a Ph.D. from Southern New Hampshire University in 2009. Jackson's career experience includes working as an attorney, as a community development consultant, as a community mediator, and as an arbitrator with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). She has served as a volunteer with the DeKalb Court Appointed Special Advocate, as a president with the CrossRoadsNews Foundation, as a member with the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance, as a member with the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, as a member with the DeKalb Section of the National Council of Negro Women, and as a member with the DeKalb Chapter of the NAACP.

Elections

2020

See also: United States Senate special election in Georgia, 2020 (Loeffler vs. Warnock runoff)

General runoff election

Special general runoff election for U.S. Senate Georgia

Raphael Warnock defeated incumbent Kelly Loeffler in the special general runoff election for U.S. Senate Georgia on January 5, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Raphael Warnock (D)	51.0	2,289,113
		Kelly Loeffler (R)	49.0	2,195,841

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,484,954
= 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.
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General election

Special general election for U.S. Senate Georgia

The following candidates ran in the special general election for U.S. Senate Georgia on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Raphael Warnock (D)	32.9	1,617,035
✔		Kelly Loeffler (R)	25.9	1,273,214
		Doug Collins (R)	20.0	980,454
		Deborah Jackson (D)	6.6	324,118
		Matt Lieberman (D)	2.8	136,021
		Tamara Johnson-Shealey (D)	2.2	106,767
	Submit photo	Jamesia James (D)	1.9	94,406
		Derrick Grayson (R)	1.0	51,592
	Submit photo	Joy Felicia Slade (D)	0.9	44,945
		Annette Davis Jackson (R)	0.9	44,335
		Kandiss Taylor (R)	0.8	40,349
		A. Wayne Johnson (R)	0.7	36,176
		Brian Slowinski (L)	0.7	35,431
		Richard Dien Winfield (D)	0.6	28,687
		Ed Tarver (D)	0.5	26,333
		Allen Buckley (Independent)	0.4	17,954
		John Fortuin (G)	0.3	15,293
		Elbert Bartell (Independent)	0.3	14,640
		Valencia Stovall (Independent)	0.3	13,318
		Michael Todd Greene (Independent)	0.3	13,293
		Rod Mack (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	7

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 4,914,368
= 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.

Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Ervan Katari Miller (R)

Candidate profiles

Deborah Jackson

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

• Mayor of Lithonia (2012-2020)
• Lithonia City Council (2009-2011)

Submitted Biography:  "I am an experienced attorney, committed community advocate and public servant. I served as the Mayor of Lithonia, Georgia for 8 years and two years on the City Council which provided both executive and legislative experience. I worked to implement the community's vision to improve housing conditions and attract new businesses. During my tenure, the minimum wage of city employees was raised to $15 hour; technical assistance was acquired to develop a housing conditions survey, a sidewalk survey, and guidelines for the historic preservation of residential and commercial buildings. The establishment of partnerships led to the redevelopment of dilapidated city property into a $12 million housing project; the designation of the City to the National Register of Historic Places; and a Blueprint of development opportunities by the Georgia Conservancy. I have the experience needed to serve as an advocate for the interests and concerns of ordinary Georgians and working families. I will work tirelessly to ensure that those voices are heard and to bring about meaningful change."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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I bring experience and competence in governing to meet the current challenges facing the country and finding solutions.

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I am committed to addressing the inequities in housing, education, employment, healthcare and business development.

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I will fight for the protection and restoration of voting rights and the expansion of health care.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Deborah Jackson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Jackson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an experienced attorney, committed community advocate and public servant. I served as the Mayor of Lithonia, Georgia for 8 years and two years on the City Council which provided both executive and legislative experience. I worked to implement the community's vision to improve housing conditions and attract new businesses. During my tenure, the minimum wage of city employees was raised to $15 hour; technical assistance was acquired to develop a housing conditions survey, a sidewalk survey, and guidelines for the historic preservation of residential and commercial buildings. The establishment of partnerships led to the redevelopment of dilapidated city property into a $12 million housing project; the designation of the City to the National Register of Historic Places; and a Blueprint of development opportunities by the Georgia Conservancy. I have the experience needed to serve as an advocate for the interests and concerns of ordinary Georgians and working families. I will work tirelessly to ensure that those voices are heard and to bring about meaningful change.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I bring experience and competence in governing to meet the current challenges facing the country and finding solutions.

• I am committed to addressing the inequities in housing, education, employment, healthcare and business development.

• I will fight for the protection and restoration of voting rights and the expansion of health care.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about protecting the basic rights of people. I believe that public policy needs to be developed that enhances basic rights to healthcare, housing, employment and education. The current Corona virus pandemic has exposed the glaring disparities that exist within the state of Georgia and around the country. People who are the most vulnerable due to health, living conditions and the jobs they perform, have been negatively impacted in terms of deaths and complications from the virus. There needs to be policies developed that not only addresses the current crisis but seeks to make systemic changes to remove the barriers that have contributed to or caused the disparities in the first place.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

One of my heroines is Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to the US Congress in 1969. She was very involved with her community and focused on children's education and women's rights among other issues before seeking political office. She had the audacity to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972 at a time when there were not many Black women in the national spotlight. Her motto of "unbought and unbossed" was inspiring to me as a young college student. Her example of standing up for what you believe in and making a difference encouraged me to not be easily deterred when confronted with obstacles.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important characteristics for an elected official include the ability to listen attentively; have compassion and empathy; and have credibility and integrity. People often want to be able to tell their story and have someone listen to them. Elected officials are representatives of the community they serve and not everyone will agree with the positions taken or decisions made. It is important to be able to listen to views you may not agree with as well as explain the basis of your positions.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have compassion and am a passionate advocate for my community. I have the ability to bring together diverse points of view to build consensus to accomplish goals without compromising my principles. I am determined, persistent and not easily deterred. I believe in active listening to understand different points of view.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book is "When and Where I Enter - The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America" by Paula Giddings, initially published in 1984 and reprinted in 2006. I loved history in high school but always had a feeling that something seemed to be missing. As a history major in college, I became interested in the roles and contributions of those not often mentioned in the general narratives of the history of the United States. While the contributions of Black people as a whole are often neglected, the contributions of Black women is even more invisible. The author Paula Giddings does an amazing job of giving life and personality to the amazing women, some of whose names are known, but not often situated in the full context of the contributions they made toward the advancement and struggle for equality and human dignity.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

There are many challenges that will confront the United States over the next decade. I believe the greatest challenges as a nation include climate change, restoration of the economy and the eradication of systemic racism. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the world economy and will require addressing the rights of workers, livable wages, and the impact on the environment to re-establish an economy that is robust and equitable. Although the eradition of systemic racism is a long term process; given the recent awareness of and attention to the issue by the general population, there is hope that progress may come sooner rather than later.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Having some previous experience in government or politics is beneficial for US Senators because of the nature of the work is to create legislation. One does not necessarily have to be an attorney or have legal experience, but it is necessary to have a good understanding of the legal process to be effective. Historically, the Senate has been considered to be a more deliberative body that examines legislative proposals. Having served in local government, both as a Mayor and Council Member, I have experience in the executive and legislative branches. The inner workings of government is very different from other institutions. There is a level of accountability to the public and the other representatives. I believe that background helps to prepare one to be an effective advocate and legislator.

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees?

The main criteria when deciding to confirm presidential appointees would be the qualifications and relevant experience of the appointee. The appointee should be competent for the position for which he/she is under consideration. I would also be interested in the appointees' political philosophy regarding the role of government in addressing the needs of citizens.

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.

See also

2020 Elections

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External links

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Footnotes

[show]

Georgia's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Jon Ossoff (D)

Raphael Warnock (D)

Representatives

District 1

Earl Carter (R)

District 2

Sanford Bishop (D)

District 3

Brian Jack (R)

District 4

Hank Johnson (D)

District 5

Nikema Williams (D)

District 6

Lucy McBath (D)

District 7

Rich McCormick (R)

District 8

Austin Scott (R)

District 9

Andrew Clyde (R)

District 10

Mike Collins (R)

District 11

Barry Loudermilk (R)

District 12

Rick Allen (R)

District 13

David Scott (D)

District 14

Marjorie Greene (R)

Republican Party (9)

Democratic Party (7)