Brandon Lamont Beach (born May 2, 1961) is an American politician serving as a member of the Georgia State Senate.[2] Beach was first elected in the 2012 general election and serves Georgia's 21st district, which includes portions of Cherokee and Fulton counties.
Brandon Beach | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Georgia Senate from the 21st district | |
| Assumed office 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Chip Rogers |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Brandon Lamont Beach May 2, 1961 Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Shuntel[1] |
| Children | Two |
| Residence | Alpharetta, Georgia |
| Alma mater | Louisiana State University, Centenary College of Louisiana |
Beach was involved with attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.
Early life and education
editBorn in Louisiana[3] on May 2, 1961,[4][1] Brandon Beach has an undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University (LSU) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Centenary College. He is a former member of the Alpharetta City Council and the Alpharetta Planning and Zoning Commission. As of January 2013, Brandon Beach is the president and CEO of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.[5]
Political career
editBeach was elected in 2012 and sworn into the Georgia Senate in 2013.[2] He sits on the Senate Economic Development, Government Oversight, Science and Technology, and currently serves as Chairman of the Transportation committee.[2] Beach ran unopposed in 2020.[6]
In 2019, Beach ran for the Republican nomination to challenge current Representative Lucy McBath in Georgia's 6th Congressional District.[1] On November 14, 2019, Beach withdrew from the race and announced he would seek reelection.[7]
In January 2024, Beach co-sponsored S.B. 390, which would withhold government funding for any libraries in Georgia affiliated with the American Library Association. The bill was drafted following the election of ALA President Emily Drabinski and allegations of the organization promoting a personal ideology and influencing librarian certification.[8][9][10]
Role in attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election
editAfter Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, Beach backed attempts to overturn the presidential vote in Georgia over baseless fraud allegations.[11][12] Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan subsequently stripped Beach of his chairmanship of the Transportation Committee.[12] In July, 2022, Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis announced that she had sent a target letter to Beach and two other Republican officials, warning them that they face indictment in connection with their role in the fake electors scheme, which was part of the attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.[13]
Coronavirus exposure
editBeach was confirmed to have COVID-19. He first showed symptoms on March 10, 2020, and was tested on March 14. In spite of showing symptoms, he attended a special session of the state Senate on March 16. The positive test results arrived on March 18. His actions led the entire Georgia State Senate, as well as staffers and others, to enter self-isolation and quarantine until the end of March 2020.[14] Beach's failure to follow coronavirus protocols has angered many within the Georgia State Senate. Governor Brian Kemp stated that Beach's actions were a clear example of what not to do if you felt sick. Testing has confirmed at least four other members of the Senate with positive test results[15][16] Beach has responded that he is "not a bad person", and that he thought it was bronchitis.[17]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Georgia State Senator Brandon Beach (Republican - 21)". www.senate.ga.gov.
- ^ a b c Senator Brandon Beach. Senate.ga.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ "Brandon Beach Announces Run for State Senate". Alpharetta-Milton, GA Patch. May 10, 2012.
- ^ "Three from GOP seek nomination to state Senate Dist. 56 seat". reporternewspapers.net. July 16, 2010.
- ^ Torres, Kristina (January 9, 2013). Voters replace Chip Rogers, but two races headed to Feb. 5 runoff. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ "Election Night Reporting". results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "Brandon Beach Out of Ga-6 Race; Will run for Re-Election To State Senate". georgiapol.com. November 14, 2019.
- ^ Tagami, Ty (January 25, 2024). "Georgia GOP senators target American Library Association with new bill". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "SB 390". Georgia General Assembly. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "Top librarian calls 'Marxist lesbian' tweet backlash 'regrettable'". NBC News. August 7, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ Journal-Constitution, Greg Bluestein-The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionJames Salzer- The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionMark Niesse- The Atlanta. "In Georgia, 'concerted' GOP pushback blocks Trump attempts to overturn election". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "The Jolt: Election deniers in state Senate stripped of chairmanships". ajc. 2021. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Fausset, Richard; Hakim, Danny (July 15, 2022). "Prosecutor Warns Georgia Officials They May Face Charges in Trump Inquiry: The investigation could prove to be one of the most perilous legal problems facing the former president and his allies". New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ "Ga. lawmakers urged to self-quarantine after senator's positive coronavirus test". ajc.com. March 18, 2020.
- ^ Updates: Four coronavirus cases reported in Georgia Senate AJC.
- ^ Fifth Georgia state senator tests positive for coronavirus Fox 5 - WAGA-TV.
- ^ What the Coronavirus Is Doing to Rural Georgia, by Charles Bethea, in the New Yorker; published April 4, 2020; retrieved April 13, 2020.
External links
edit- Welcome to the Georgia General Assembly Archived 2013-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Legis.ga.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2013.