MACON, Ga. — Former Mayor of Milledgeville and State Senator Floyd Griffin announced his intent to run for Georgia State House District 149 on Saturday.
In a statement by Griffins team, it says he has "been a leader in the fight for voting rights for Black voters in Georgia for decades. He lived through the discriminatory poll tax laws that were put in place to keep poor Blacks in the south from voting. After years of fighting for Civil Rights as an activist, in 1994 Griffin accomplished what political experts deemed impossible: He defeated an incumbent Georgia State Senator in a majority white district. A few years later, Griffin made another unprecedented achievement in becoming the first African American mayor of the old capitol city of Milledgeville."
"I'm excited about the potential to serve this district and assure all of its communities have all it needs, including easy access to voting," Griffin said.
Griffin holds an Associate of Science in Funeral Service from Gupton Jones College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Building Construction from Tuskegee University, and a Master of Science in Contract and Procurement Management from Florida Institute of Technology. In addition, he graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College as well as the National War College.
Griffin currently lives in Milledgeville with his wife.
Griffin is running in the May 21 Democratic Primary against Phyllis Hightower.
The winner faces Republican incumbent Ken Vance in November.