Lucy McBath facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucy McBath
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2019
|
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia |
|
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
|
| Preceded by | Karen Handel |
| Constituency |
|
| Personal details | |
| 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 |
| Education | Virginia State University (BA) |
| Website | |
Lucy McBath (born June 1, 1960) is an American politician. She has been a member of the United States House of Representatives for districts near Atlanta, Georgia, since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before becoming a politician, Lucy McBath became a strong supporter of gun safety. This happened after her son, Jordan Davis, passed away in November 2012. She joined a group called the Mothers of the Movement. This group includes mothers whose children were victims of gun violence. She also spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
McBath first ran for the House of Representatives in 2018. She won against the Republican who was in office, Karen Handel. She won against Handel again in 2020. In 2020, her district boundaries changed. So, McBath decided to run in the nearby 7th district. She won the election for that district in 2022.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lucy 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 the president of the NAACP's Illinois chapter. Her mother, Wilma, worked as a nurse.
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, a former 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
.jpg)
In 2012, Lucy McBath's 17-year-old son, Jordan Davis, was shot and killed. This happened after an argument at a gas station in Florida. The event received national attention. It led to discussions about self-defense laws, sometimes called stand-your-ground laws. Her son's killer was found guilty and sentenced to 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 joined the Mothers of the Movement. This group is made up of African American women whose children have been killed by gun violence.
McBath actively supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. She spoke on Clinton's behalf at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Lucy McBath also started a foundation called Champion In The Making Legacy. This foundation helps high school graduates continue their education. She appeared in two documentary films in 2015. One was 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets, which explored her son's shooting. The other was The Armor of Light, which won an Emmy Award.
Serving in Congress
Elections
2018 Election
McBath decided to run for office after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. She wanted to challenge Karen Handel, who was the Republican in office for Georgia's 6th congressional district. This district included many northern suburbs of Atlanta.
The 6th district had usually voted Republican. However, Donald Trump only barely won the district in 2016. In the Democratic Party primary election on May 22, McBath received the most votes. She then won the runoff election on July 24.
McBath faced Handel in the November general election. McBath won with 159,268 votes, while Handel had 156,396 votes. This made her the first Democrat to represent this district since 1993. Her victory was called "the biggest Georgia Democratic upset of the 2018 midterms."
2020 Election
McBath decided to run for re-election to her House seat in 2020. She raised a lot of money for her campaign. She won the November 3 general election with 54.6% of the votes. She again defeated Karen Handel. Joe Biden also won the district with 55% of the vote in the presidential election. This was the first time a Democrat had won the district at the presidential level since it moved to Atlanta's northern suburbs.
2022 Election
_(new_version).svg)
In 2021, the district boundaries were changed by the state legislature. McBath's 6th district became much more favorable to Republicans. So, in November 2021, McBath announced she would run in the 7th district. This district was held by another Democrat, Carolyn Bourdeaux. The 7th district was changed to be more Democratic. McBath won against Bourdeaux in the Democratic primary.
What She Does in Congress
McBath has supported laws to help people. For example, she helped create the Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need ("HAVEN") Act. This law helps disabled veterans with bankruptcy protections.
She also supported a law to help college students. This law would extend Pell Grant eligibility. Pell Grants are money for college. Students could get them if their school closed or if school officials did something wrong.
McBath serves on important committees in the House of Representatives.
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Committee on the Judiciary (She is a leader for the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance.)
She is also part of several groups in Congress:
- Black Maternal Health Caucus
- Congressional Black Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
Political Views
Healthcare
McBath supports improving the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. She believes in making small changes to strengthen it. 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 tax cuts for middle-class families permanent.
She voted for the Raise the Wage Act. This law would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Gun Safety
McBath decided to run for Congress because she felt the government was not doing enough to prevent 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.
During her 2018 election, McBath promised to respect Second Amendment rights. But she also wanted to push for:
- Background checks for all gun purchases.
- Raising the age to buy a gun to 21.
- Keeping guns out of the hands of people who abuse others or other criminals.
Immigration
McBath does not support getting rid of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).
Personal Life
Lucy 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.
In 1993, McBath lost her first son, Lucien, before he was born. A year later, she gave birth to her son Jordan. McBath is a Christian. She named her son after the River Jordan in the Bible. She is a longtime member of Eagles Nest Church in Roswell.
Images for kids
-
Official portrait, 2019
-
McBath on a panel discussion about the film Armor of Light and the issue of gun violence, 2015
-
Georgia's 6th congressional district which included many of Atlanta's northern suburbs, 2018
-
2018 Georgia's 6th congressional district election results
-
Georgia's 7th congressional district near Atlanta, 2023
-
McBath honors a service member at the Military Women's Memorial, 2023
-
McBath on the House Judiciary Committee
-
McBath speaks in support of maternal healthcare and the Momnibus bill, 2023
-
McBath speaks at an event in support of gun safety laws, 2022
