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. (born May 24, 1944) is an American politician. He served as the mayor of Milledgeville, Georgia, from 2001 to 2005. He was also a member of the Georgia State Senate, representing the 25th district, from 1995 to 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Griffin has also run for other important state offices, like Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in 1998 and Georgia Secretary of State in 2022.
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Early Life and Education
Floyd L. Griffin Jr. studied at several colleges. He earned a degree in funeral service from Gupton-Jones College. He also got a degree in building construction from the Tuskegee Institute. Later, he earned a master's degree from the Florida Institute of Technology. This degree was in contract procurement and management.
Military Service and Teaching
Griffin served in the United States Army. He graduated from special military schools like the Army Command and General Staff College and the National War College. He flew helicopters during the Vietnam War.
As an officer, Griffin taught military science at two universities. These were Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University. He also coached the college football team at Winston-Salem State. Griffin retired from the Army in 1990. He held the rank of colonel. After his military career, he took over his family's business, Slater's Funeral Home.
Political Journey
Floyd Griffin began his political career in 1994. He ran for the 25th district seat in the Georgia State Senate. He won this election, becoming a state senator. This was a very important win. He was the first African American to win a district with mostly white voters in the Georgia State Senate. This had not happened since the Reconstruction era, which was a time after the American Civil War.
Serving as Mayor
In 1998, Griffin ran for lieutenant governor of Georgia. He did not win this election. He later ran for his old seat in the Georgia Senate in 2000 but lost. However, 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 in 2005 to Richard Bentley.
Later Elections and Recognition
In 2009, Griffin published a book about his life. It was called Legacy to Legend: Winners: Make it Happen. He continued to run for public office. He ran for the Georgia Senate again in 2010 but lost. In 2015, he ran for mayor of Milledgeville again. He lost that election by a very small number of votes.
In 2016, he ran for the Georgia House of Representatives. He lost this election as well. Griffin was a delegate at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. This is a big meeting where the Democratic Party chooses its presidential candidate. In May 2021, the city of Milledgeville honored him. They named a street after him.
Griffin also ran for Georgia Secretary of State in 2022. He did not win the primary election for this position.
Future Plans
Griffin plans to run for the Georgia State House District 149 in 2024. This district was recently changed. A judge ruled that some voting districts in Georgia were unfair. They made it hard for African-American communities to elect their chosen candidates. This is called gerrymandering. The new District 149 is expected to be more fair for the Democratic Party. It includes parts of Baldwin, Jones, and Bibb Counties.
Personal Life
Floyd Griffin is married to Nathalie. They have two children together.
