Jen Jordan
Candidate for Attorney General, Democrat
Website: Jen4Georgia.com
Occupation(s): State Senator, Attorney
I am a lawyer and mother of two who currently represents parts of Fulton and Cobb Counties in the Georgia State Senate. I am running for Attorney General to protect and serve the people of Georgia—to be a voice for the Georgians who don’t have power, money, or status.
Image source: georgiaequalitypac.org/
Our health is affected by a variety of factors that are directly influenced by policies made by and supported by the Attorney General:
Priorities
What priorities or key issues will you address if elected to this office?
If elected, I will be an Attorney General that represents the people of Georgia. My top priorities will be keeping our communities safe from violence, protecting women’s reproductive rights, and cracking down on public corruption.
Experience
What key experiences would you bring to this role?
I have extensive courtroom experience, legislative experience, and a track record of winning difficult battles. As an experienced litigator with over 20 years of experience, I have dedicated my career in private practice to fighting for Georgians who had been left behind. I’ve taken on predatory payday lenders, a big insurance company, and even Brian Kemp when he released the private information of every voter in the state in the 2015 “Peach Breach.” I also challenged Georgia’s first voter ID law in 2005, successfully delaying its implementation so that thousands of voters could obtain identification. In 2016, I lost a major case in which I represented a young woman who had been sexually assaulted while left unsupervised following a medical procedure. It was then that I realized I needed to do more to fight for women and families in this state, so I decided to run for the State Senate—and I won, flipping a longtime Republican seat and ending the Republican supermajority. I have fought for environmental justice, criminal justice reform, voting rights, and reproductive justice in the State Senate. All of these experiences have prepared me to serve as Georgia’s next Attorney General.
COVID-19 and the Criminal Justice System
COVID-19 has hit prisons and jails across the country hard. Georgia has the third highest incarceration rate (968 per 100,000 people) in the U.S. and is not publicly releasing data on the number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 among the incarcerated population. What role does the Attorney General play in ensuring that our criminal justice system is humane?
Our system of justice needs fundamental reform at every level. As our state’s top legal official, the Attorney General can lead on reforms by providing much-needed oversight and leadership. One of my first actions as attorney general will be to launch an investigation into the conditions within Georgia’s correctional system. Senator Ossoff has led an investigation at the federal level, but it’s unacceptable that we must rely on our federal delegation to investigate a state-run system. I will make it my priority to crack down on corruption, keep Georgians safe, and make government work for the people.
Reproductive Healthcare
What is your position on abortion? Do you support enforcement of Georgia’s 6-week abortion ban (H.B. 481)? Should Roe v Wade and Casey v Planned Parenthood be overturned by the Supreme Court?
I am unequivocally committed to protecting women’s reproductive healthcare, including the fundamental right to access an abortion. Every person should have access to safe and legal reproductive healthcare, regardless of where they live, their income, or their status. I believe Georgia’s 6-week ban is unconstitutional under the Georgia State Constitution, which guarantees a right to privacy, and I would not enforce a statute that is not lawful. I do not support the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The Dobbs decision sets a dangerous precedent; never before have American citizens been stripped of a fundamental, constitutional right.
Election Reform and Voting Rights
Do you support the enactment of Georgia’s Election Integrity Act of 2021 (S.B. 202)? What other actions would you take as Attorney General in regards to voting and elections?
I voted against S.B. 202 in the Georgia Senate last year and still strongly oppose the bill today. Georgia Republicans responded to 2020’s election results with S.B. 202 to suppress voters and deny equal access to the right to vote. I have been fighting to protect voting rights since I became an attorney 20 years ago, and that won’t change if I am elected Attorney General. If elected, I will reorganize the office to create a voting rights division tasked with protecting ballot access and investigating instances of voter intimidation or fraud. Unlike Chris Carr, I will make it the policy of my office not to defend any law that infringes upon Georgians’ rights, including roadblocks to voting. Attorneys General are the first and last line of defense against threats to our democracy, and I will always go to court to protect Georgians’ right to vote.
