Don Balfour (politician)
| The Honorable Don Balfour | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Georgia Senate from the 9th district | |
| Upper House of the Georgia General Assembly | |
|
In office 1993–2015 | |
| Succeeded by | P.K. Martin IV |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Ginny |
| Residence | Snellville, Georgia |
| Alma mater | B.S. Bob Jones University; M.A. Fairleigh Dickinson University |
Donald Kenneth Balfour II is a Republican politician. He was a member of the Georgia State Senate, representing the 9th District.
Legislative career
Balfour, a resident of Snellville and an executive with Waffle House, Inc.,[1] was elected to the State Senate in 1992. He was re-elected multiple times without opposition. In 2002, after Republicans took control of the Georgia Senate for the first time, he was elected chairman of the Republican caucus[2] and in 2003 he became chairman of the senate's Rules Committee,[3] a position he held until January 2013.[4] He served as President of the National Conference of State Legislatures from 2009–2010.[5][6] Balfour was defeated in a primary challenge in 2014.[7] When he left office, he was the longest-serving Republican in the Georgia Senate.[8]
Indictment and acquittal
Balfour was indicted by a Fulton County grand jury for eighteen counts of falsifying expense reports and theft by taking.[9] In November 2013, pending his trial, he was suspended from his office by Governor Nathan Deal, and from his party positions by the Senate Republican Caucus.[10] In December, Balfour was acquitted of all charges and his suspension was reversed.[11][12]
References
- ↑ "Days of Diners Lighting Up Numbered", Rome News-Tribune, April 5, 2005.
- ↑ "Georgia Senate Republicans Elect Majority Leadership Officers", Atlanta Inquirer, November 30, 2002 – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) .
- ↑ "Democrats bumped from key committees", Associated Press in Athens Banner-Herald, January 15, 2003.
- ↑ "Balfour out as chairman of rules committee", Associated Press in Gwinnett Daily Post, January 15, 2013.
- ↑ http://www.ncsl.org/Documents/public/execlscc/NCSLOfficers_1975-2013.pdf
- ↑ "National Conference of State Legislatures.(People & Politics)", State Legislatures, September 1, 2009 – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) .
- ↑ Young, Camie (May 20, 2014). "Balfour disappointed in election defeat, but grateful for 22 years in office". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ Josh Green, "Senate race pits Balfour against Lawrenceville attorney", Gwinnett Daily Post, October 31, 2012.
- ↑ Galloway, Jim (September 27, 2013). "State Sen. Don Balfour indicted on 18 counts". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ↑ Kristina Torres, "Balfour suspended from office, kicked out of caucus", The Atlanta Journal Constitution, November 13, 2013.
- ↑ Kristina Torres, "Balfour reinstated to GOP Caucus, committee leadership", The Atlanta Journal Constitution, December 19, 2013.
- ↑ Michelle Wirth, "Senator Don Balfour Returns to Georgia Senate", WABE, January 13, 2014.