Mable Thomas facts for kids

Mable Thomas, born on November 8, 1957, is an American politician. She has served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, representing different areas of Atlanta. She is known for her long career in public service.

Early Life and School

Mable Thomas grew up in the English Avenue neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. She was born on November 8, 1957, and was the youngest of five children. Her parents were Bernard and Madie Thomas.

She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1975. Mable then earned a scholarship to Georgia State University. She played for the Georgia State Panthers women's basketball team. In 1982, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in public administration.

Political Career

Mable Thomas began her political journey in 1984. She was chosen as a delegate for Jesse Jackson at the Democratic National Convention. In the same year, she won a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives. She defeated the person who held the seat before her, Grace Towns Hamilton. This made Mable the youngest member of the Georgia General Assembly at the time. She served four terms in this role.

Serving Atlanta

In 1997, Mable Thomas successfully ran for a seat on the Atlanta City Council. She served on the City Council until 2003. After that, she returned to the Georgia House of Representatives for six more years.

Later Elections

Mable Thomas ran for the United States House of Representatives in 1992 and 2008. She challenged John Lewis, a well-known Congressman. In both elections, Lewis won the Democratic primary.

In July 2010, she tried to win back her old Georgia House seat. However, she lost in the primary election. In October 2019, Thomas announced she would run for the United States Senate. In March 2020, she decided not to seek re-election to the Georgia House.

After Congressman John Lewis passed away, Mable Thomas was considered as a possible candidate to take his place. However, Nikema Williams was chosen instead. Thomas also ran in a special election to serve Lewis's full term in Congress. She did not advance to the final runoff election in December 2020.

Personal Life

Mable Thomas is often called "Able" or "Able Mable." A colleague gave her this nickname around 1984. She later made "Able" her legal middle name. Thomas is a member of the Cosmopolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Atlanta.