Floyd Griffin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Floyd Griffin
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| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 149th district |
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| Assumed office January 13, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Kenneth Vance (Redistricting) |
| Mayor of Milledgeville, Georgia | |
| In office 2001–2005 |
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| Succeeded by | Richard Bentley |
| Member of the Georgia State Senate from the 25th district |
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| In office 1995–1999 |
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| Preceded by | Wilbur Baugh |
| Succeeded by | Faye Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 24, 1944 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Nathalie |
| Children | 2 |
| Education |
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| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1967–1990 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Floyd L. Griffin Jr. was born on May 24, 1944. He is an American politician and a retired U.S. Army colonel. He served as the mayor of Milledgeville, Georgia, from 2001 to 2005. He also represented the 25th district in the Georgia State Senate from 1995 to 1999. Griffin is a member of the Democratic Party. He also ran for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in 1998 and for Georgia Secretary of State in 2022.
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Early Life and Education
Floyd L. Griffin Jr. studied at several colleges. He earned an Associate of Science degree from Gupton-Jones College. He then received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Tuskegee Institute. Later, he earned a master's degree from the Florida Institute of Technology.
Military Service and Teaching
Griffin served in the United States Army. He graduated from important military schools. These include the Army Command and General Staff College and the National War College. During the Vietnam War, Griffin flew combat helicopters. As an officer, he taught military science at Wake Forest University. He also taught at Winston-Salem State University. He even coached the offensive backfield for the Winston-Salem State Rams college football team.
Griffin retired from the Army in 1990. He held the rank of colonel when he retired. After his military career, he took over his family's business, Slater's Funeral Home.
Political Career
In 1994, Griffin ran for a seat in the Georgia State Senate. He ran for the 25th district against Wilbur Baugh. Griffin won the election after a runoff election. He did not face any Republican opponents in the main election. He became the first African American to win a district in the Georgia State Senate. This district had mostly Caucasian voters. This was the first time this happened since the end of the Reconstruction era.
Running for Higher Office
In 1998, Griffin ran for lieutenant governor of Georgia. He finished fifth in the primary election. In 2000, he tried to win back his seat in the Georgia Senate but lost. He was elected mayor of Milledgeville in 2001. He officially became mayor on January 1, 2002. He served as mayor until 2006. He lost his reelection bid to Richard Bentley in 2005.
Griffin wrote a book about his life in 2009. It was called Legacy to Legend: Winners: Make it Happen. In 2010, he ran for the 25th district seat in the Georgia Senate again. He lost to Johnny Grant. Griffin ran for mayor of Milledgeville in 2015. He lost to Gary Thrower by a very small number of votes. In 2016, he ran for the 145th district of the Georgia House of Representatives. He faced Rick Williams, who also worked as a funeral director. Griffin lost that election.
Recent Political Activities
Griffin was a delegate at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. In May 2021, the city of Milledgeville named a street in his honor. Griffin announced he would run for Georgia Secretary of State in 2022. He was eliminated in the primary election. Bee Nguyen and Dee Dawkins-Haigler moved on to a runoff election.
Griffin has filed to run for Georgia’s State House District 149 in 2024. This district was changed by a federal judge's decision. The judge ruled that some state house districts in Georgia made it harder for African-American communities to elect their own candidates. This was due to how the districts were drawn by the state's Republican lawmakers. The 149th district is expected to favor the Democratic Party. It includes parts of Baldwin, Jones, and Bibb Counties.
Personal Life
Griffin is married to Nathalie. They have two children.
