Chris Carr
48th Attorney General of Georgia
Assumed office
November 1, 2016
GovernorNathan Deal
Brian Kemp
Preceded bySam Olens
Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development
In office
November 2013 – November 2016
GovernorNathan Deal
Preceded byChris Cummiskey
Succeeded byPat Wilson
Personal details
Born
Christopher Michael Carr

(1972-02-08) February 8, 1972 (age 52)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJoan
Children2
EducationUniversity of Georgia (BBA, JD)

Christopher Michael Carr[1] (born February 8, 1972)[2][3] is an American lawyer and politician. A Republican, he is the current Attorney General of Georgia. In 2016, Governor Nathan Deal appointed Carr as Attorney General to fill a vacancy created by the departure of former Attorney General Sam Olens. Carr was elected to a four-year term in Georgia's 2018 statewide elections. He won a second term in the 2022 Georgia Attorney General election.

Education

Carr graduated from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business with a BBA degree in 1995, and from the University of Georgia School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree in 1999.[1] Carr has been admitted to practice law in Georgia since 1999.[4]

Legal career

After graduating law school, he practiced law with Alston & Bird in Atlanta and later served as Vice President and General Counsel for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.[5] From 2011 to 2018 he served on the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission.[5] He also served on the Board of Advisors for the Atlanta Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.[5]

Political career

Carr was Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson for six years. From November 2013 to November 2016, Carr was Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.[6][7][8]

Attorney General of Georgia

In 2019, Carr joined 17 other Republican Attorneys General in suing to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA), stating, “We believe the Court will uphold our position that the ACA is unconstitutional.”[9][10]

Carr supported legislation in Georgia to revise voting regulations.[11] Carr was chair of the Republican Attorneys General Association, an organization that sent robocalls on January 6, 2021, urging supporters to march to Washington to dispute the certification of the election results in which Joe Biden won.[12] Carr resigned as chair of the organization in April 2021 over his opposition to the robocall, saying he had a "fundamental difference of opinion” with others in the organization that began with “vastly opposite views of the significance of the events of January 6.”[13]

During his tenure, Carr's office was involved in indicting former member of Georgia's Board of Regents for racketeering,[14] the Paulding County, Georgia, District Attorney for bribery,[15] and a former Chief Magistrate Judge in Pickens County, Georgia, for financial fraud,[16] as well as indictments of three individuals for elder abuse.[17][18][19]

Personal life

He is married to Joan and has two children.[5]

Electoral history

Georgia Attorney General election, 2018[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Chris Carr (incumbent) 1,981,563 51.3
Democratic Charlie Bailey 1,880,807 48.7
Georgia Attorney General Republican primary, 2022[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Chris Carr (incumbent) 281,708 74.2
Republican John Gordon 98,081 25.8
Georgia Attorney General election, 2022[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Chris Carr (incumbent) 2,030,300 51.9
Democratic Jen Jordan 1,822,552 46.6
Libertarian Martin Cowen 59,942 1.53

References

  1. ^ a b "Mr. Christopher Michael Carr Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com". www.martindale.com.
  2. ^ "Deal appoints loyalist to be Georgia's attorney general". November 12, 2019. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019.
  3. ^ United States Public Records, 1970-2009 (Georgia, 1990-2009)
  4. ^ "Biography of the Attorney General - Office of Attorney General Chris Carr". law.ga.gov.
  5. ^ a b c d "About Chris". carrforgeorgia.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  6. ^ "Chris Carr". Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission.
  7. ^ Trubey, J. Scott (September 12, 2013). "Deal picks Isakson aide for top economic development job". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  8. ^ Trubey, Scott (October 13, 2016). "Deal nominates Pat Wilson for economic development chief". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  9. ^ "Obamacare Lawsuit Has Georgia Advocates Worried". WABE. July 9, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  10. ^ "Supreme Court could end Obamacare, Georgia's new health care plan". Georgia Recorder. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  11. ^ Miller, Dave (April 5, 2021). "Attorney General Carr pushes back on GA voting law". WALB. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  12. ^ Murphy, Patricia; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "Group chaired by Chris Carr called Trump supporters to urge them to march to U.S. Capitol". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  13. ^ Newkirk, Margaret (April 22, 2021). "GOP Leader Quits Attorney General Group, Citing Rift Over Capitol Riot". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  14. ^ Strigus, Eric; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta (May 5, 2021). "Former Georgia Regent indicted on racketeering, forgery charges". ajc. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  15. ^ "Paulding County DA arrested, released on bond for bribery, false statement charges". Fox 5 Atlanta. February 22, 2021.
  16. ^ Rankin, Bill; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "Ex-judge spent tax dollars on Birkenstocks and an ear wax removal kit, prosecutors say". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  17. ^ Coyle, Carter (January 17, 2018). "Moncks Corner woman arrested in 'horrific elder abuse scheme". Live5News. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  18. ^ Jackson, Angie; Post and Courier, The (January 16, 2018). ""Berkeley County nurse charged for alleged role in Georgia elder abuse scheme"". The Post and Courier. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  19. ^ Office of the Attorney General, Press Release (January 16, 2018). "Carr: All-In Effort Leads to Dismantling of Systematic Elder Abuse Scheme". Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  20. ^ "November 6, 2018 General Election". GA - Election Night Reporting. Georgia Secretary of State. November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  21. ^ "General Primary/Special Election - Unofficial Results". GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE. May 24, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  22. ^ "QUALIFYING CANDIDATE INFORMATION". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved November 1, 2022.

External links

Legal offices Preceded bySam Olens Attorney General of Georgia 2016–present Incumbent
Attorneys general of the United States
Statewide political officials of Georgia
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