Connie Stokes facts for kids

Connie Stokes (born September 3, 1953) is an American politician from Georgia. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Connie Stokes served as a DeKalb County Commissioner. She also served in the Georgia State Senate. In 2014, Stokes ran for lieutenant governor.

Early Life and Career

Connie Stokes had a challenging start to life. She was raised by her great-grandmother in Atlanta's Fourth Ward. As she grew up, she decided to go into business. She worked in the field of real estate.

Political Journey

Serving in the Georgia Senate

In 1994, Connie Stokes ran for a seat in the Georgia State Senate. She wanted to represent the 43rd district. A major newspaper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, supported her campaign. She won the election and was reelected five more times.

While in the Georgia Senate, the Governor of Georgia, Roy Barnes, chose her for an important role. She became one of his floor leaders. This meant she helped guide laws through the Senate. She also led the Health and Human Services committee as its chairwoman.

Moving to New Roles

In 2004, the Republican Party gained control of the Georgia Senate. This change meant Connie Stokes lost her leadership positions on committees. Because of this, she decided to run for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. This seat was open because Denise Majette was running for the United States Senate.

Governor Barnes supported her in this race. However, she did not win the Democratic nomination. Instead, Cynthia McKinney won. That same year, Connie Stokes was elected as a DeKalb County commissioner. As a commissioner, she led the budget committee. In 2010, she ran for the House of Representatives again. She challenged Hank Johnson for the 4th congressional district seat, but Johnson won the nomination.

Running for Lieutenant Governor

In 2013, Connie Stokes announced she would run for governor of Georgia in the 2014 election. Later, Jason Carter also entered the race for governor. Stokes then decided to run for lieutenant governor instead. She lost the general election to the person who was already in office, Casey Cagle.

Education and Family Life

Connie Stokes has a strong educational background. She earned an Associate's degree from the Art Institute of Atlanta. She also received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Her main area of study was marketing.

Later, she earned a Masters in Public Administration. She focused on public management at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Today, she lives in Lithonia, Georgia. She lives there with her husband and their three sons. She works as a business management consultant.