Denise Majette facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Denise Majette
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 4th district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Cynthia McKinney
Succeeded by	Cynthia McKinney
Personal details
Born	Denise Lorraine Majette (1955-05-18) May 18, 1955 (age 70) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Yale University (BA) Duke University (JD)

Denise Lorraine Majette (born May 18, 1955) is an American politician from the state of Georgia. She is a member of the Democratic Party. From 2003 to 2005, she served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Georgia's 4th congressional district.

About Denise Majette

Denise Majette was born in Brooklyn, New York. She went to Yale University for her first degree. Later, she earned a law degree, called a Juris Doctor (JD), from Duke University in 1979.

After finishing law school, she started her career in North Carolina. She worked as a lawyer helping people who couldn't afford legal help. She also taught law at Wake Forest University.

In 1983, Majette moved to Stone Mountain, a town near Atlanta. She worked as a private lawyer for a while. In 1992, she became a judge for workers' compensation cases in Georgia. The next year, Georgia's Governor Zell Miller chose her to be a judge for the State Court of DeKalb County. She served as a judge for nine years.

Running for Congress

In 2002, Denise Majette decided to run for the United States House of Representatives. This meant she had to leave her job as a judge. She ran for the seat representing Georgia's 4th district, which includes DeKalb County.

In the Democratic Party's first election (called a primary), she ran against Cynthia McKinney. McKinney had been the representative for 10 years. Majette had never run in a political election before. But she won the primary election with 58% of the votes, while McKinney got 42%. This was a big surprise! McKinney had faced some disagreements because of comments she made after the September 11 attacks. Also, some Republicans voted in the Democratic primary, which is allowed in Georgia. Because this district usually votes Democratic, winning the primary was almost like winning the main election.

In Congress, Majette's voting record was a bit more middle-of-the-road than Cynthia McKinney's. However, she was still seen as a generally liberal Democrat.

Running for the U.S. Senate

After serving one term in the U.S. House, Majette decided to run for a seat in the United States Senate. This seat was becoming open because Senator Zell Miller was not running again. Senator Miller had been chosen for the seat in 2000 after another senator passed away.

Majette's decision to run for the Senate surprised many Democrats in Georgia. She said she felt a strong personal calling to run for the Senate. She won the first round of the Democratic primary election. But she had to go into a second round, called a runoff, against a businessman named Cliff Oxford. She won the runoff election.

Important senators like Mary Landrieu and Debbie Stabenow supported her campaign. Many others in Washington also helped her raise money. Her campaign slogan was "I'll be nobody's Senator, but yours." Denise Majette made history as the first African American woman to be nominated for the U.S. Senate in Georgia.

In the main election, she ran against Johnny Isakson, a Republican Congressman. Even though she campaigned hard, Majette lost the election by a large amount.

Several things led to her loss. She didn't have as much money for her campaign as her opponent. She also had to spend time and money on the runoff election. Her opponent, Johnny Isakson, won his Republican primary easily. Majette joined the race late, so she didn't have much time to catch up. Also, a proposal to change the Georgia Constitution was on the ballot. This proposal, which Majette did not support, brought out many Republican voters. It passed easily across the state. The presidential election that year also played a role. The Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, didn't focus much on Georgia.

After Majette left the House, Cynthia McKinney ran for her old seat again in 2004 and won.

Later Career

After leaving Congress, Denise Majette returned to working as a lawyer in Atlanta. In 2006, she announced she would run for Georgia's state School Superintendent. She won the primary election against Carlotta Harrell. However, in the general election, she lost to the Republican who was already in office, Kathy Cox.

Electoral History

Congressional photo of Denise Majette.

*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2004, write-ins received 31 votes and Matthew Jamison received 7 votes.

See also

• List of African-American United States representatives
• Women in the United States House of Representatives
• List of African-American United States Senate candidates