Lucy McBath facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucy McBath
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Karen Handel |
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| Born |
Lucia Kay Holman
June 1, 1960 Joliet, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Ronald Davis (div.) Curtis McBath
(m. 2008) |
| Children | 2, including Jordan Davis |
| Residences | Marietta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | Virginia State University (BA) |
Lucia Kay McBath (born June 1, 1960) is an American politician. She has served in the United States House of Representatives for districts in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
McBath's son, Jordan Davis, was tragically killed in November 2012. After this, she became a strong supporter of gun control. She joined other mothers whose children were victims of violence to form a group called the Mothers of the Movement. She also spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, a big meeting for the Democratic Party.
McBath decided to run for the House of Representatives in 2018. She won against the Republican who held the seat, Karen Handel. McBath won against Handel again in 2020. Later, due to changes in district maps, McBath ran in a different district, the 7th district. She won that election too.
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Early Life and Career
McBath was born in Joliet, Illinois, on June 1, 1960. Her father, Lucien Holman, was a dentist. He also owned an African-American newspaper called The Black Voice. He was also the president of the NAACP's chapter in Illinois. Her mother, Wilma, worked as a nurse. Lucy has a sister named Lori.
McBath went to Virginia State University. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1982. After college, she worked as an intern for Douglas Wilder, who was the governor of Virginia. In the 1990s, she became a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines. She moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where Delta's main office is located.
Becoming an Activist
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In 2012, McBath's 17-year-old son, Jordan Davis, was shot and killed. This happened after an argument at a gas station in Florida about loud music. This event got a lot of national attention. It led to discussions about controversial self-defense laws, sometimes called stand-your-ground laws. The person who killed her son, Michael Dunn, was found guilty of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.
After her son's death, McBath became a national spokesperson for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. She attended a speech by President Barack Obama about gun violence. She also supported the My Brother's Keeper Challenge, a program to help young men of color. McBath also joined the Mothers of the Movement. This group is made up of African American women whose children have been killed by gun violence. McBath spoke out against laws that would allow guns on college campuses in Florida.
McBath actively supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. She spoke on Clinton's behalf at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
McBath started a foundation called Champion In The Making Legacy. This foundation helps high school graduates continue their education and training.
Serving in Congress
Why She Ran for Office
McBath decided to run for office after meeting with State Representative Renitta Shannon. Shannon encouraged her to run. Other reasons for her decision included the election of Donald Trump. She also wanted to act because some gun control measures were being undone.
She first planned to run for the Georgia House of Representatives. But after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, she decided to challenge Karen Handel. Handel was the Republican who held the seat in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's 6th congressional district.
The 6th district usually voted Republican. However, Handel was seen as possibly losing her seat. Donald Trump had only barely won the district in 2016. Handel had won a very expensive special election in 2017 against Jon Ossoff.
Election Wins
In the Democratic Party primary election in May 2018, McBath received the most votes. She then won the runoff election in July 2018.
McBath then faced Karen Handel in the November 2018 general election. McBath won with more votes than Handel. She became the first Democrat to represent this district since 1993. Her victory was called "the biggest Georgia Democratic upset of the 2018 midterms."
McBath won her reelection in November 2020. She again defeated Karen Handel. She received a lot of support because Joe Biden also won the district in the presidential election. This was the first time a Democrat had won the district at the presidential level in its current form.
In 2021, the district maps were redrawn. McBath's district changed a lot and became more Republican. In November 2021, McBath announced she would run for reelection in the 7th district instead. This district was more Democratic. She won the Democratic primary against Carolyn Bourdeaux. She then won the general election in 2022.
What She Works On
McBath has worked on several important issues in Congress. She helped create the Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need ("HAVEN") Act. This law helps disabled veterans get bankruptcy protection.
She also supported a law to help college students get Pell Grants. This would apply if their school closed or if school officials acted unfairly.
Committees She Serves On
McBath serves on important committees in the House of Representatives:
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
- Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance
- Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust
Her Political Views
Health Care
McBath supports changes to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. She supports expanding Medicaid in Georgia. She also wants to lower the age for Medicare eligibility to 55.
Economy
McBath has said she is critical of some of the 2017 Republican tax cuts. However, she would like to make the temporary tax cuts for middle-class families permanent.
She voted for the Raise the Wage Act. This bill would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Gun Control
McBath decided to run for Congress because she felt the government was not doing enough to stop gun violence. She supports background checks for all gun purchases. She also supports red flag laws. These laws help keep guns away from people who might be a danger to themselves or others.
During her 2018 election campaign, McBath promised to respect Second Amendment rights. She also promised to push for universal background checks. She wants to raise the age to buy a gun to 21. She also works to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and other criminals.
Immigration
McBath does not support getting rid of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).
Donald Trump
McBath was careful about impeaching President Donald Trump at first. However, in October 2019, she voted to start an impeachment inquiry into Trump. She is on the House Judiciary Committee, which handled some of the impeachment work. She said she was "furious" about the lack of cooperation from the Trump administration. On December 18, 2019, McBath voted for articles of impeachment against Trump.
Joe Biden
As of August 2021, McBath has voted in line with President Joe Biden's stated positions 100% of the time.
Personal Life
McBath grew up in a military family. Her father, brother, nephew, and cousin all served in the U.S. military. McBath has had breast cancer twice. She is married to Curtis McBath. They live in Marietta, Georgia.
McBath is a Christian. She named her son Jordan after the River Jordan in the Bible. She is a longtime member of Eagles Nest Church in Roswell.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Politics of Georgia
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
- Doreen Lawrence
