Luisa Wakeman

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

Luisa Wakeman

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 24, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Kennesaw State University, 2008

Personal

Profession

Flight attendant

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Luisa Wakeman (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Georgia State Senate to represent District 6. She lost in the Democratic primary on May 24, 2022.

Wakeman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Luisa Wakeman earned a bachelor's degree from Kennesaw State University in 2008. She earned bachelor's degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Kennesaw State University in 1990 and 2008, respectively. Wakeman's career experience includes working as a flight attendant for Delta, a registered nurse, and a heart failure financial services representative. She has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• Georgia Nursing Association
• Democratic Party of Georgia
• Cobb Progressives
• Liberal Moms of Roswell and Cobb
• No Safe Seats
• Fulton County Medical Reserve Corps

Elections

2022

See also: Georgia State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Georgia State Senate District 6

Jason Esteves defeated Fred Glass in the general election for Georgia State Senate District 6 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Esteves (D)	56.6	45,076
		Fred Glass (R)	43.4	34,607

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 79,683
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 6

Jason Esteves defeated Luisa Wakeman in the Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 6 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Esteves	54.2	6,940
		Luisa Wakeman	45.8	5,863

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,803
= 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 election

Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 6

Fred Glass defeated Angelic Moore in the Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 6 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Fred Glass	67.5	12,703
		Angelic Moore	32.5	6,110

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,813
= 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

To view Wakeman's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

2020

See also: Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 43

Incumbent Sharon Cooper defeated Luisa Wakeman in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 43 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon Cooper (R)	50.8	15,928
		Luisa Wakeman (D)	49.2	15,452

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,380
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 43

Luisa Wakeman advanced from the Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 43 on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Luisa Wakeman	100.0	6,767

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,767
= 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 election

Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 43

Incumbent Sharon Cooper advanced from the Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 43 on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon Cooper	100.0	6,095

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,095
= 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

To view Wakeman's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

2018

See also: Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 43

Incumbent Sharon Cooper defeated Luisa Wakeman in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 43 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon Cooper (R)	51.6	13,122
		Luisa Wakeman (D)	48.4	12,330

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 25,452
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 43

Luisa Wakeman advanced from the Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 43 on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Luisa Wakeman	100.0	2,641

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 2,641
= 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 election

Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 43

Incumbent Sharon Cooper advanced from the Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 43 on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon Cooper	100.0	3,034

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 3,034
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kevin James (R)

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Luisa Wakeman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wakeman'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 have a BA in Economics from the University of Texas in Austin and a BS in Nursing from Kennesaw State University. I've worked as an investment advisor in Texas, a cardiac care nurse at St. Joseph's hospital, and a flight attendant with Delta Air Lines. I've had to adapt to financial downturns, like many Georgians. I'm fluent in English and Spanish and speak conversational Dutch and Norwegian. I'm able to learn new things when the need arises.

I was born in Spain under the Franco dictatorship. My family is originally from the Netherlands; my grandparents were in the Dutch resistance during WWII. I grew up knowing that democracy can be fragile, and leaders aren’t always benevolent. When I asked my parents about becoming a citizen, my dad said becoming a naturalized citizen came with a big responsibility. I would have to be a part of making our country better for everyone. I took that challenge to heart, and it has never left me.

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?

• As a healthcare professional, I know where our system can improve. I will set out to lower maternal mortality rates (we rank 50th), decrease healthcare disparities for Black women, reverse bans on reproductive care, and push to expand Medicaid to fund hospitals across the state and provide access to affordable healthcare for all Georgians.
• Georgia's children must have access to quality education. I will fight to ensure our public schools have the needed resources and our teachers receive the pay they deserve.
• The right to vote is fundamental to a thriving democracy. We must ensure that the ballot box is accessible to all eligible voters.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

While healthcare, education, and the environment are top priorities, we will not be able to solve these issues until we ensure that access to the ballot box is protected. We must bring back the ballot drop boxes successfully used in the 2020 election, allow for same-day voter registration and encourage county-wide voting on election day.

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

My grandparents have always had a big influence on my life. Their bravery during the war, hiding complete strangers in their home, and risking their own lives has inspired many to live more courageously for others.

My grandparents were a sweet couple. My grandfather preferred a stack of books or taking long walks with his hands behind his back, digesting information from his books over social situations. He was a deep thinker and punctual. My grandmother loved people, especially her family, and easily lost track of time. Sometimes she changed the clocks in the house so she could keep up with my grandfather's punctuality. My father was born two years after their marriage and my aunt, three years after that.
Their years as young parents were disrupted by the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands.
I'm not sure how my grandparents became involved in the underground, but know that for them they did what they knew was right.
I recently visited the National Holocaust Names monument in Amsterdam with my dad. The tragedy of each name, each life lost in horrific circumstances is impactful when seen marked in bricks, next to each other in walls that wrap around your being. Several of the names were of people my dad knew. His "aunt Nell" was a Jewish woman who lived with my grandparents through the war, her husband Wim Levy would visit when it was safe. Other "aunts and uncles" would come through their home just outside of The Hague.
At one point, the situation got too dangerous for the young family
My dad remembers riding on the back of his dad's bike, my aunt on the back of her mom's bike out into the countryside where they would live with complete strangers until it was safe. My grandparents left them there and returned to the city to continue their work.

My dad has done extensive reading about the war and gives lectures both in the US and the Netherlands. I'm truly grateful for his commitment to making sure history is never forgotten.

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

In order to represent the people, one must be a good listener.

While it's important to have knowledge and skills, without the ability to listen to people it is difficult to understand them. I've seen too many times that elected officials and candidates tell people what they want them to know, but forget to listen, creating distance and separateness.

One thing I'm known for is listening.

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

I have a background in multiple industries and offer a perspective that not many can. I've worked in one of the most trusted professions, and people deserve representatives they can trust. I've been a frontline worker throughout the pandemic and understand the effects on nurses, teachers, and other professions that are in high demand. When I see a problem, I step up. I look forward to serving the people of the sixth district.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Because We're Kids with Tony Bennett
The album The Playground was played endlessly in our minivan when our kids were little. Recently we were singing some of the songs. They are classic.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Georgia faces many challenges today, from a failing rural hospital system that desperately needs the support Medicaid expansion would provide to public schools that remain underfunded and understaffed to a large agricultural economy grappling with the challenges posed by climate change. Perhaps the most significant challenge will be the fight to protect our Democracy and ensure that the people of Georgia can make their voices heard so that we can address all of the other issues in a way that benefits and protects all Georgians equitably.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Health and Human Services

Education and Youth
Science and Technology

Appropriations

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No. I want to serve the people of Georgia's Sixth Senate District, There would be no greater honor than to serve in Georgia's State Senate to lead our great state to a more inclusive, safe and prosperous state while prioritizing access to quality, affordable healthcare, funding for our public schools, our environment and protecting the right to vote.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Negotiating on specific policy points and pieces of legislation may be necessary to achieve results, but compromising one's values is neither necessary nor desirable. The current state of divisiveness is, in part, a result of elected officials showing loyalty to party leaders and lobbyists rather than the constituents they serve.

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.

2020

Luisa Wakeman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wakeman'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 have been a flight attendant with Delta Airlines of 29 years. I'm also a registered cardiac care nurse, last practicing in 2008-09 when I took it on as a second job amid the Great Recession. I am a wife and mother to two, both are products of Cobb County Public Schools. I have lived in my district for nearly 30 years.

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?

• As a healthcare professional, I know where our system can improve. I will set out to lower maternal mortality rates (we rank 50th), vote against draconian reproductive care bills, and more generally push to lower costs.
• Part of the promise of Cobb is its great public school system. Amid the looming budget debate, I will fight to keep our schools fully funded and get our teachers the pay raise the Governor promised them.
• I will prize equity, equality, and morality in all that I do. I will not vote for bills that target certain demographics, such as so-called "religious freedom" bills. I will stand up for your voting rights, which somehow has become a partisan issue.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education, healthcare, climate, equality, and transportation.

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

Lucy McBath. She was a Delta Flight Attendant before the unthinkable tragedy of losing her son Jordan Davis to gun violence. Lucy then helped lead a movement to empower other mothers to speak up against gun violence so that no one else would experience what she went through. Lucy is the epitome of courage and strength, and using that to help others. I am so proud to now call her my congresswoman, my friend and someone I truly admire.

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

Honest, fair, hard working

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the bicentennial celebrations of 1976. As immigrants and new citizens, we took patriotism seriously. I remember being immensely proud of everything our country is and how lucky we were to be a part of it and part of the parades and school events celebrating our country. The same year we elected President Jimmy Carter who brought new hope to the White House and made civic engagement attainable to the average citizen.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was babysitting. I loved taking care of kids, watching moms go out for the evening or be there while they were at work. It was a trust that they put in me to take care of what was most important to them. To me, there's no job more important than making sure our kids are cared for and safe.

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

Our elected officials should be representative of our communities. We should elect legislators with varying backgrounds, who can look at issues from different perspectives.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

After decades of underfunding, we just got our K-12 public schools to full funding. But HOPE is flagging and we are underinvesting in early education. This situation could worsen as tough budget decisions are made amid this pandemic. We have to hold the line on education funding.

Healthcare is also an ongoing crisis. An easy win would be to accept the Federal Medicaid Expansion - improving access to care and lowering costs for taxpayers across the board. Longer term we have to take a firmer line with the healthcare lobby if we are to get costs, access issues, and quality concerns addressed the way we'd like to.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would definitely want to be a part of the House Health and Human Services Committee. My training and experience as a nurse is an important perspective when talking about healthcare. As a nurse I am trained to provide patient centered care, and I believe that's something that can translate into good healthcare policy.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No. My heart and my family are in Georgia. My desire is to be a legislator who puts the interests of the people first and serve my district and my state in a way that will lay the groundwork for a strong future.

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

2022 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Georgia State Senate District 6

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Personal

Facebook

LinkedIn

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Georgia State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Jason Anavitarte

Minority Leader:Harold Jones

Senators

District 1

Ben Watson (R)

District 2

Derek Mallow (D)

District 3

Mike Hodges (R)

District 4

Billy Hickman (R)

District 5

Sheikh Rahman (D)

District 6

Matt Brass (R)

District 7

Nabilah Islam Parkes (D)

District 8

Russ Goodman (R)

District 9

Nikki Merritt (D)

District 10

Emanuel Jones (D)

District 11

Sam Watson (R)

District 12

Freddie Sims (D)

District 13

Carden Summers (R)

District 14

Josh McLaurin (D)

District 15

Ed Harbison (D)

District 16

Marty Harbin (R)

District 17

Gail Davenport (D)

District 18

John Kennedy (R)

District 19

Blake Tillery (R)

District 20

Larry Walker (R)

District 21

Vacant

District 22

Harold Jones (D)

District 23

Max Burns (R)

District 24

Lee Anderson (R)

District 25

Ricky Williams (R)

District 26

David Lucas (D)

District 27

Greg Dolezal (R)

District 28

Donzella James (D)

District 29

Randy Robertson (R)

District 30

Tim Bearden (R)

District 31

Jason Anavitarte (R)

District 32

Kay Kirkpatrick (R)

District 33

Michael Rhett (D)

District 34

Kenya Wicks (D)

District 35

Vacant

District 36

Nan Orrock (D)

District 37

Ed Setzler (R)

District 38

Rashaun Kemp (D)

District 39

Sonya Halpern (D)

District 40

Sally Harrell (D)

District 41

Kim Jackson (D)

District 42

Brian Strickland (R)

District 43

Tonya Anderson (D)

District 44

Elena Parent (D)

District 45

Clint Dixon (R)

District 46

Bill Cowsert (R)

District 47

Frank Ginn (R)

District 48

Shawn Still (R)

District 49

Drew Echols (R)

District 50

Bo Hatchett (R)

District 51

Steve Gooch (R)

District 52

Chuck Hufstetler (R)

District 53

Colton Moore (R)

District 54

Chuck Payne (R)

District 55

Randal Mangham (D)

District 56

John Albers (R)

Republican Party (32)

Democratic Party (22)

Vacancies (2)