Nathan Deal facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Nathan Deal
Deal in 2017

82nd Governor of Georgia
In office January 10, 2011 – January 14, 2019
Lieutenant	Casey Cagle
Preceded by	Sonny Perdue
Succeeded by	Brian Kemp
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia
In office January 3, 1993 – March 21, 2010
Preceded by	Ed Jenkins
Succeeded by	Tom Graves
Constituency	9th district (1993–2003) 10th district (2003–2007) 9th district (2007–2010)
Member of the Georgia State Senate from the 49th district
In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Howard Overby
Succeeded by	Jane Hemmer

Personal details
Born	John Nathan Deal (1942-08-25) August 25, 1942 (age 82) Millen, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Republican (1995–present)
Other political affiliations	Democratic (before 1995)
Spouse	Sandra Dunagan (m. 1966; died 2022)
Children	4
Education	Mercer University (BA, JD)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1966–1968
Rank	Captain

John Nathan Deal (born August 25, 1942) is an American politician and former lawyer. He served as the 82nd governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019. Before becoming governor, he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Deal was a Republican. He also served in the Georgia State Senate from 1981 to 1993. In 2010, he ran for governor and won a close election. He was re-elected in 2014. One important law he signed was the Safe Carry Protection Act. This law allowed people with permits to carry hidden guns in many public places. He could not run for governor again in 2018 because of term limits.

Nathan Deal's Early Life and Career

Nathan Deal was born on August 25, 1942, in Millen, Georgia. He grew up on a farm in Sandersville, Georgia. His parents, Mary and Noah Jordan Deal, were both teachers.

He went to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. There, he earned his bachelor's degree and a law degree with honors. After finishing law school in 1966, he joined the United States Army. He reached the rank of captain.

Deal worked as a private lawyer for 23 years. He was also a criminal prosecutor and a judge. He served as a juvenile court judge and a superior court judge in Hall County, Georgia. In 1980, he was elected to the Georgia State Senate as a Democrat.

In 1990, his party chose him to be the President Pro Tempore. This was the second-highest position in the state Senate.

Nathan Deal's Time in the U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2010)

Becoming a U.S. Representative

Nathan Deal was first elected to the U.S. Congress in November 1992. He was a Democrat and took over from Edgar Jenkins. He was re-elected as a Democrat in 1994.

However, in 1995, Deal changed his political party. He joined the Republican Party. This happened shortly after Republicans gained control of the U.S. House for the first time in 40 years.

Deal was easily re-elected in 1996 as a Republican. This was the first time his district had elected a Republican for a full term since the Reconstruction. He was unopposed in 1998, 2002, and 2004. He also won against a less-funded opponent in 2000.

In 2006, Deal was re-elected with 77% of the votes. His district became even more Republican after new district lines were drawn.

Key Actions in Congress

Deal early in his congressional career

Deal during the 110th Congress

When he first started in Congress, Deal's voting record was somewhat moderate. After he switched parties, he became much more conservative. He voted for all four articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton.

During his 17 years in Congress, Deal became an expert on health care policy. He chaired the Health Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce.

Deal also introduced a bill called the Citizenship Reform Act. This bill aimed to change how birthright citizenship works for children of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

Committee Roles in Congress

Deal was a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Within this committee, he served on several subcommittees:

Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet
Subcommittee on Health (where he was the top-ranking minority member)
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Leaving Congress

On March 1, 2010, Nathan Deal resigned from his seat in Congress. He said he wanted to focus all his energy on his campaign for governor. Before leaving, he voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Campaign Finance Review

In 2011, there was a review of Nathan Deal's campaign finances from his 2010 run for governor. The review looked into how campaign money was used. It was found that Deal had made some "technical defects" in his financial reports. In July 2012, Deal agreed to pay $3,350 to resolve these issues.

Nathan Deal as Governor of Georgia (2011–2019)

Winning the Governor's Race in 2010

The previous Republican Governor, Sonny Perdue, could not run again in 2010. Seven candidates ran in the Republican primary election. No one won more than 50% of the votes in the first round. Karen Handel came in first, and Nathan Deal came in second. This meant they had a run-off election.

The run-off election between Handel and Deal was very close. Deal won by only 2,519 votes. In the main election, Deal faced former governor Roy Barnes, a Democrat. Deal won the election on November 3, defeating Barnes with 53% of the vote.

Re-election as Governor in 2014

Deal meeting with Georgia National Guardsman in Marietta, Georgia, September 2011

Deal ran for re-election in 2014. He won against two other candidates in the primary election. In the general election, he defeated Democratic State Senator Jason Carter. Deal received 53% of the votes, while Carter received 45%.

Taking Office

Nathan Deal became governor on January 10, 2011. His second inauguration, or official start of his new term, happened on January 12, 2015.

Expanding the Supreme Court

As Governor, Deal added two more justices to the state's Supreme Court. This expanded the court's size.

Immigration Law

In 2011, Governor Deal signed a law called Georgia HB 87. This law gave the state more power to enforce rules about illegal immigration. It also required many employers to check if their new hires were undocumented immigrants.

The Safe Carry Protection Act

In 2014, Deal signed House Bill (H.B.) 60, also known as the Safe Carry Protection Act. Critics called it the "Guns Everywhere" Law. Deal said that gun rights are very important to people in Georgia.

This law started on July 1, 2014. It allows licensed gun owners to carry guns in many public and private places. This includes churches, school property, bars, and some government buildings. Some church leaders supported the law, while others did not. A survey in 2016 found that many Georgians believed owning a gun protects people, but most did not approve of this specific law.

Syrian Refugee Resettlement

In 2015, Governor Deal issued an order to stop state agencies from helping to resettle refugees from Syria in Georgia. This meant that newly arrived Syrian refugees could not get certain benefits. However, Deal removed his order on January 4, 2016. This happened after Georgia's Attorney General said that Deal did not have the power to issue such an order.

Vetoing the Religious Liberty Bill

On March 28, 2016, Governor Deal vetoed a religious liberty bill. This bill had been passed by both parts of the Georgia State Legislature. Many large companies, like Coca-Cola and Home Depot, were against the bill.

Campus Carry Law

On May 3, 2016, Deal vetoed a bill that would have allowed guns on college campuses. He did this because some lawmakers refused to add exceptions for places like child-care centers on campuses. If he had signed it, people 21 or older with a permit could carry hidden guns at public colleges in Georgia. One year later, on May 4, 2017, Deal signed a new, stricter version of the campus carry bill into law.

Nathan Deal was succeeded as governor by Brian Kemp on January 14, 2019.

Honours

The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star (2023)

Images for kids

Nathan Deal's signature