Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield Will Not Seek Re-Election
Decatur Metro | February 22, 2012
Just received this press release.
Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield to become Executive Director of GreenLaw, will not seek re-election to State House
State Representative Stephanie Stuckey Benfield has announced her plans to become the new Executive Director of GreenLaw, a Georgia environmental advocacy organization, dedicated to clean air and clean water. Benfield will begin her new position at the conclusion of this year’s legislative session.
An outdoors enthusiast and nature lover, Rep. Benfield has been a vocal environmental advocate during her 14 years as a member of the Georgia House’s Natural Resources Committee. Her commitment to clean water and clean air issues grew even stronger after her son was diagnosed with asthma.
“When I learned that my son has asthma, it really hit home that pollution can hurt our most vulnerable citizens, our children,” said Benfield. “For the past 20 years, GreenLaw has been a leader in protecting Georgians from pollution, and I am excited to be able to focus my attention on cleaning up our air and water for our families.”
Rep. Benfield received both an undergraduate and law degree from the University of Georgia. She graduated Cum Laude from UGA law school in 1992. Among her notable achievements while in office are: earning the Outstanding Lawyer in Public Service Award by the Atlanta Bar Association, being named one of “40 under 40″ promising Georgians by Georgia Trend magazine as well as one of “16 Attorneys to Watch” by the Fulton County Daily Report. She was also awarded the Environmental Leadership Award by the Georgia Conservation Voters and the Georgia Urban Forest Council Award for Promoting Arbor Day in public schools.
Rep. Benfield will be finishing out her legislative term. She will not, however, seek re-election to the Georgia General Assembly in order to focus her full-time energies leading GreenLaw.
In addition to continuing the effort to stop pollution from two other proposed coal plants in south Georgia, GreenLaw represents nonprofit clients around the state to help enforce laws that protect nature. GreenLaw is representing Ogeechee Riverkeeper in an effort to stop pollution following the state’s largest fish kill on the south Georgia River. Attorneys at GreenLaw are also working to ensure that pollution from landfills and scrap tire dumps don’t negatively affect community health in the metro-Atlanta area.
“I look forward to working with the skilled attorneys at GreenLaw to continue to give our environment its day in court,” said Rep. Benfield. “Whether the pollution is from landfills, careless industries, or dirty coal, it’s high time that we clear the air and clean the water in Georgia so our children can live healthy, productive lives,” Benfield said.
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Even suggesting that Rep. Benfield could not win another race is ridiculous! Take a look at her election night numbers when she’s had to run in new districts.
Alright, well I’ll removed the statement because I really was just trying to give background info. But I’m pretty sure the redistricting wasn’t in her favor, that’s why she fought the redistricting so fiercely. What do previous redistricting results have to do with anything?
Her district was drastically changed from previous elections. She would have to run against Howard Mosby, an African American incumbent in a district that is now majority black. it would be an uphill fight which she obviously did not feel comfortable winning. She is a victim of a Georgia GOP strategy to eliminate as many white Democrats as possible from the General Assembly. Karla Drenner is facing a similar decision. Elana Parent and Scott Holcomb were placed in the same district.
Redistricting should not be conducted by elected officials. Independent, non-partisan groups should create and adjust districts based upon objective criteria and communities of common interest, not political parties. Many states have moved in this direction including California most recently. Ironically Rep Benfield has previously introduced legislation to this effect. She’ll be missed.
Let’s continue to assume all Republicans are racists. Of course, it’s not at all true, and patently offensive to all races, but it sure makes it easy to draw one’s own pre-conceived conclusions.
I don’t see that DH’s post referred to Republicans as racists. Rather I see a reference to a political strategy to reduce the number of white Democrats in the General Assembly (presumably because they draw away votes from white Republicans but that’s not explicitly stated and is only my interpretation of the strategy.) It is one thing to criticize a political strategy that uses race, another thing to call someone racist.
You’re taking to an all new level. I don’t believe all Republicans are racists. Never said that, nor implied it.
Take a look sometime at the house districts drawn for Roswell, Johns Creek, Milton, Alpharetta and Dunwoody and then compare them to Decatur and Atlanta. The northern cities have compact districts and each city has their own rep. Atlanta and Dekalb get long thin districts that look like ribbons. Benfield’s district runs diagonally from Sheridan Park north of LaVista to the Henry County line. The same shaped districts were used in Fulton districts 55-59 and DeKalb 83-90.
The Republicans just proved they are as irresponsible as the Democrats on redistricting. The GOP complined bitterly 10 years ago and then turned around and abused their power just as the Dems did.
It is simply a fact that the Republican controlled Georgia legislature drew white Democratic legislators into the same districts or into minority majority districts with African American incumbents wherever possible. This was done to maximize the number of Republican seats across the state by packing as many Democrats into the same seats as possible, particularly by packing as many African American voters into majority minority districts as possible, making other districts whiter and more Republican. Whether that is racist or not is another question, but these are the facts.
A similar event occurred in 1992. Before Congressional redistricting, Georgia had a congressional delegation of eight white Democrats, one black Democrat and one white Republican. After reapportionment and picking up one seat due to population growth, Georgia’s delegation had eight white Republicans and three black Democrats. The map in 1992 packed black voters into three districts.
And amen to this: “Redistricting should not be conducted by elected officials. Independent, non-partisan groups should create and adjust districts based upon objective criteria and communities of common interest, not political parties.” This would go a long way to sorting out the disaster that is Washington today.
Yes, but this time she would have had to run against an incumbent from the same party in a district that she did not represent much of. Also, the demographics would have been much more challenging.
FANTASTIC!!!
The environment has become so horribly degraded in our state that most people don’t even see it anymore. Like a chronic back pain that one just simply gets used to. There’s nothing more powerful than a mother with a cause.
I plan to raise a high-gravity beer in her honor quite soon.
Will that be accompanied by a Stuckey’s Pecan Log for dunking?
As Darenw alludes to, her legislative work was an important factor in the growth of the craft beer market around here.
Definitely a loss for our community. Not many high character people left in politics these days.
Rep. Stuckey Benfield will be missed! Hope to continue to see her at the pool!
Best luck, Stephanie. Thank you for your public service.
She has been a wonderful public servant for us who live in her district. She is responsive, active and engaged. I wish her the best of luck in her new role – I wish all politicians had Stephanie’s attitude and integrity.
Interesting comments on my departure. My current district is about 68% African American, so I’m very comfortable running in a diverse district. The redistricting was not a factor in my decision to not seek re-election. The money is a factor. I make $16,500 / year as a state rep and have spent all of it on child care related to my public service for the past 9 years. The unpredictable hours of a legislative job are hard for families. There’s a reason why there are so few mothers with young children in the Legislature. My kids are 6 & 9 years old, and I am looking forward to a job where the hours are more regular.
I am also discouraged by the fiercely partisan politics under the Gold Dome. Good ideas and hard work should be rewarded, regardless of party affiliation. Environmental issues especially have suffered some bad setbacks during the past few legislative sessions (passage of the billboard tree cutting bill & the Waste Management landfill bill, for example). I think I can be more effective litigating rather than legislating these issues.
GreenLaw is a wonderful organization. They recently had a tremendous victory stopping the Longleaf coal fired plant in South GA. I am excited at this opportunity to make a real difference in fighting for clean air & clean water for Georgians. I start my new job, by the way, on April 9 – as soon as the legislative session ends.
I will miss working on beer issues though. I have to say getting the high octane beer bill passed was terrific & fun experience. Perhaps I’ll have a craft brew celebration when I officially leave the Legislature & have friends join me at the Brick Store Pub!
Thanks to everyone who’s supported me over the years. I’ve loved serving in the Legislature!
Thank you Stephanie for your work.
“I think I can be more effective litigating rather than legislating these issues.”
That says a lot about our society.
In either case, I thank you for your efforts.
Isn’t there a federal mandate under Voting Right Act to increase the number of majority black districts when possible, and it is due to this overarching Federal law that keeps this particular type of gerrymandering from being challenged/overturned.
The Democrats are actually arguing the opposite in this case – that the packing of African-American voters into majority-minority districts – dilutes their influence and thus violates the VRA.
The idea is that two districts with a 40% African American population has more influence than one district with 80% and the other virtually zero. By creating the one 80% minority district, are you intentionally diluting African American voting strength?
One of the aims of the VRA was certainly to create more majority-minority districts. For years states like Georgia created districts intentionally so that African Americans could not win them. I think the question is, however, can this go too far?
The State could get out from underneath the Voting Rights Act if it took affirmative steps to increase voter registration and voter participation across all races and across the State. Of course, we’re moving in the wrong direction by requiring picture ID and reducing the amount of advance voting. Why don’t we adopt a goal of registering everyone eligible and of increasing voter participation in national elections to 80% and local elections to 70%. That could demonstrate the legacy of discrimination had vanished and the need for the Voting Rights Act had passed.
Thanks for your wonderful, responsive work as a legislator for our state–you are truly the definition of ‘public servant’ and you will be missed. We hope to hear more about you as you work with GreenLaw!
Ms. Benfield put on a brave, gracious face for her supporters, and I applaud her for that.
She could be #1 in everything, but not get the votes needed to stay in office in her new district. Look at 2010 – she had no opposition in the Democratic primary and ran in the general election against a Republican whom she had previously trounced. Her new district would have her running against an entrenched incumbent Democrat.
All Democrats are equal, but some are more equal than others. It’s all about fairness.
Not surprising. She didn’t mention it but I’m sure being in the minority party for the past eight years (and for at least the next decade) also had something to do with feeling it was time for a change. The fiercely partisan politics don’t seem quite as bad so long as you are in the majority and usually getting your way. I also don’t believe redistricting was not a factor in her resignation. She would have had to primary against the leader of the DeKalb delegation, so just think about all the potential consequences of that contest.
One thing about the redistricting process that no one else has mentioned is that there were huge population declines in parts of central and south DeKalb. In order for black Democratic legislators to keep their seats someone had to lose, and it sure wasn’t going to be the the white Republicans drawing the maps. You’ll notice that there was very little criticsm of the new maps by the black Democratic legislators in central and south DeKalb. They’re happy they kept their seats and the white Republicans who drew the maps knew this was very important. The white liberals were just going to have to practice what they preach and make sacrifices for blacks to enjoy a special advantage.
The leaves five white Democratic house members in DeKalb. Elena Parent and Scott Holcomb have been placed in a new Republican leaning district, so it probably doesn’t matter who wins their primary if they both decide to run. Karla Drenner and Michele Henson (who already represent majority black districts) have both been placed in new districts in which they will no longer have the benefit of being listed as incumbents. That leaves Mary Margaret Oliver who will run in a district that is about 55% Democratic, meaning that a moderate Republican could tout the benefit of having a legislator who would be in the majority party and more able to get things done for their district for at least the next decade.
Best $16,500/year ever spent in GA. Thanks Stephanie!! You’ll be missed.