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Robert Dawson (Georgia)

From Ballotpedia
Robert Dawson
Georgia House of Representatives District 65
Tenure
2025 - Present
Term ends
2027
Years in position
1
Predecessor:Mandisha A. Thomas (D)
Compensation
Base salary
$25,315.32/year
Per diem
$247/day
Elections and appointments
Last election
November 5, 2024
Education
Bachelor's
Sarah Lawrence College, 1994
Graduate
Bennington College, 2014
Graduate
Harvard University, 2010
Personal
Birthplace
Birmingham, AL
Religion
Baptist
Profession
Information technology professional
Contact

Robert Dawson (Democratic Party) is a member of theGeorgia House of Representatives, representingDistrict 65. He assumed office on January 13, 2025. His current term ends on January 11, 2027.

Dawson (Democratic Party) ran for election to theGeorgia House of Representatives to representDistrict 65. He won in the general election onNovember 5, 2024.

Dawson completed Ballotpedia'sCandidate Connection survey in 2024.Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Robert Dawson was born inBirmingham, Alabama. Dawson earned a bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College in 1994, a graduate degree from Harvard University in 2010, and a graduate degree from Bennington College in 2014. His career experience includes working in financial technology, cybersecurity, and software development and compliance.[1]

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according toBillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Committee assignments

2025-2026

Dawson was assigned to the following committees:


Elections

2024

See also: Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 65

Robert Dawson won election in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 65 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Dawson
Robert Dawson (D) Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
29,876

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 29,876
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 65

Robert Dawson defeatedDe'Andre S. Pickett,Sam Wakefield, andMel Keyton in the Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 65 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Dawson
Robert Dawson Candidate Connection
 
53.9
 
4,339
Image of De'Andre S. Pickett
De'Andre S. Pickett
 
24.5
 
1,970
Image of Sam Wakefield
Sam Wakefield Candidate Connection
 
12.9
 
1,040
Image of Mel Keyton
Mel Keyton Candidate Connection
 
8.6
 
694

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 8,043
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Dawson in this election.

2022

See also: Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 61

IncumbentRoger Bruce won election in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 61 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Roger Bruce
Roger Bruce (D)
 
100.0
 
20,091

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 20,091
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Georgia House of Representatives District 61

IncumbentRoger Bruce defeatedRashaun Kemp in the Democratic primary runoff for Georgia House of Representatives District 61 on June 21, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Roger Bruce
Roger Bruce
 
53.4
 
2,304
Image of Rashaun Kemp
Rashaun Kemp Candidate Connection
 
46.6
 
2,009

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 4,313
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 61

IncumbentRoger Bruce andRashaun Kemp advanced to a runoff. They defeatedRobert Dawson andMonique McCoy in the Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 61 on May 24, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Roger Bruce
Roger Bruce
 
47.2
 
4,536
Image of Rashaun Kemp
Rashaun Kemp Candidate Connection
 
19.2
 
1,841
Image of Robert Dawson
Robert Dawson Candidate Connection
 
18.1
 
1,740
Monique McCoy
 
15.5
 
1,494

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 9,611
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also:Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Robert Dawson completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dawson's responses.

Expand all |Collapse all

My life and education have been dedicated to service and community. Born and raised next door in Birmingham, Alabama, I grew up in the battleground city of the Civil Rights Movement. Surrounded by this legacy, I became engaged and involved in community service at a young age. I got my start in public service as the Chairman of Youth for Mothers Against Violence.

In a professional capacity, I have experience working in the public and private sectors, including the United States House of Representatives as a Staff Writer. I work as a consultant and subject-matter expert in the finance and information technology fields. As a consultant, I have used my experience to consult major entities, including BCD Travel, Xerox, Time, Inc., The New York City Department of Health, and The University of Alabama.

In District 65, I continue to mentor youth, support local schools, and recently served on the City of South Fulton Zoning Board of Appeals where I was a watchdog protecting the best interests of our neighbors. I am a 2024 Post Seat holder for the Fulton County Democrats and I serve on the Executive Committee of the South Fulton Democrats.

Beyond my professional obligations, I have strived to stay active in the communities I call home.

I earned my MFA from Bennington College. I also hold degrees from Sarah Lawrence College and Harvard University.
  • A Public Health Framework

    I have a plan for hospitals in our region:

    -I will fight to fix the broken process for building new hospitals in Georgia-I will advocate to use Georgia’s surplus to bring quality healthcare back to our region after recent attrition-I will stand up to Georgia’s hospital industry and lobbyists. I’m calling the industry out right now and bringing light to the disgraced lack of healthcare in our region-I will take practical steps like allowing physician-owned, university-owned, and HBCU-owned surgery centers that feature multiple specialists

    -I will work to expand medicaid in Georgia and demand that all Georgians have access to adequate healthcare
  • Economic DevelopmentThe state must do more to bring quality development and jobs to our region. We must guard our residential neighborhoods from improper zoning, predatory rental properties and misguided development. I have heard from our neighbors, and we all want smart, safe, clean communities. District 65 must use future-forward technologies like electric vehicles, solar energy, blockchain technology and cybersecurity to upgrade the state’s grid and capabilities. Let’s become an information technology hub! Computer Science, STEM, IT and Skilled Trade training programs are also needed.
  • EducationAs a proud product of public schools, I am an advocate for quality of education in our district. I’ve had the opportunity to attend some of the premiere colleges and universities in the country. I want all our children to have the same opportunity: -I oppose special interests groups who want to take money from public schools and send it to private schools and charter schools that don't have proper oversight and that rally even open their doors in our communities-It’s time to prioritized public education and equip our students with forward-facing skills. We can enrich our students in the classroom and beyond -We need to hire more public school teachers and pay them better.
Voting Rights, Redistricting and Voter Suppression

I will continue to stand against attacks on civil rights and voting rights in Georgia and beyond:

-I am calling for the repeal of Georgia's restrictive voting laws and attempts to block fair access to the ballot
I support third-party redistricting as a way to prevent the partisan maps we are witnessing this year
-I am calling for Election Day to be a state holiday in Georgia

-I will fight to protect the integrity of our elections and combat attempts to disproportionately prevent minority applicants from registering to vote
Accountability, Transparency, Accessibility and Integrity
My first job was at our local grocery store. I was working hard to afford my first car and my college tour. The work ethic I built then with support I had from the coworkers, management and community is still with me.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Candidate Connection

Robert Dawson completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dawson's responses.

Expand all |Collapse all

I am a proud resident of District 61. I live in the Regency Oaks neighborhood. I have over twenty years of experience working in the public and private sectors, including the United States House of Representatives.

My life has been dedicated to service and development. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, I grew up in one of the primary battleground cities of the Civil Rights Movement. Growing up surrounded by this legacy caused me to become engaged and involved in community service and development activities at a young age. I got my start in the community serving as the Chairman of Youth for Mothers Against Violence. During this time, I worked raising funds for Birmingham area youth to attend political rallies and functions in the region.

Upon receiving my high school diploma from the Alabama School of Fine Arts, I attended Sarah Lawrence College in Westchester County, New York. I graduated from Sarah Lawrence with my Bachelor of Arts degree and went on to earn two Master’s degrees. I earned a Master’s Degree in Writing from Bennington College and one in Finance from Harvard University.
  • The best interest of the community comes first. The neighbors deserve the head seat at the table.
  • In addition to getting illegal guns off the street, we must focus on strengthening the relationship between the community and police.
  • Let’s be honest, no one wants to make a big money bet in a district where the politics are full of drama. If we continue to have political bickering, most businesses that we are longing for will see us as too big of a risk.
I’ve heard from our neighbors, and I see the vision you are demanding. We need a masterplan for the District that delivers the future growth and prosperity you know we deserve. We need entertainment venues, upscale retail, fine dining options, Class A office space, quality grocers, plus an end to the food desert we are all living in

To get all this done we need leaders who are collaborators and facilitators. We don’t need any more drama. Our future is not served by divisive politics, dysfunction, and stubborn public policy. I’m deeply concerned that without proper planning, spending and policies we will continue to hit roadblocks and dead ends as a rising region

Despite negative sentiment and news coverage, Georgia is a great place to live. District 61 offers many value propositions (proximity to the airport, affordability, and undeveloped land) that we must showcase to our citizens and neighbors. Our reputation must reflect the strong families that make District 61 a quality community. We are not the Douglas and Fulton County you hear about on the news. Let’s build the community we deserve and make these amenities a reality. It’s easier than you think!
My father and my grandfather are really the two people I look up to the most. They made me the man I am and provided great examples for me to live up to in business, family, spiritual life and working to be a servant in the community!
I see the vision that the neighbors are demanding and that we deserve. Instead of runaway construction of warehouses, subdivisions and apartments in the region, we need visionary developments like hospitals, swimming centers, fitness centers, multipurpose spaces and learning academies.
Patience, Listener, Collaborator, Peacemaker, Watchdog, Connector
I'm a big fan of jazz music and I was recently listening to Thelonius Monk and his tunes always get stuck in my head!
Let’s be honest, no one wants to make a big money bet in a state district where the politics are full of drama. If we continue to have political bickering, most businesses that we are longing for will see us as too big of a risk. No one wants to work with a district that is divided. The national brands and desirable products you want must be courted by a functional government, streamlined processes and by inspiring confidence that big deals won’t become political footballs. Experience is the key!
Compromise and diplomacy are the core to policymaking. No one "wins" a negotiation. To create successful policy, I have no problem compromising and meeting my counterparties halfway.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.


Campaign finance summary


Ballotpedia LogoNote: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.


Robert Dawson campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024Georgia House of Representatives District 65Won general$43,356 $45,719
2022Georgia House of Representatives District 61Lost primary$0 $0
Grand total$43,356 $45,719
Sources:OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Scorecards

See also:State legislative scorecards andState legislative scorecards in Georgia

Ascorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Georgia scorecards, email suggestions toeditor@ballotpedia.org.












See also


External links

Candidate

Georgia House of Representatives District 65

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  • Footnotes

    1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on November 22, 2022

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Mandisha A. Thomas (D)
    Georgia House of Representatives District 65
    2025-Present
    Succeeded by
    -


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    Republican Party (99)
    Democratic Party (79)
    Vacancies (2)


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