Don Balfour (politician)

Donald Kenneth Balfour II is a Republican politician. He was a member of the Georgia State Senate, representing the 9th District.

Don Balfour
Member of the Georgia State Senate
from the 9th district
In office
1993–2015
Succeeded byP.K. Martin IV
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Ginny
ResidenceSnellville, Georgia
Alma materB.S. Bob Jones University; M.A. Fairleigh Dickinson University

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] He announced a campaign for the United States House of Representatives in Georgia's 7th congressional district in March 2010 (see United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia § District 7),[7] but ended his campaign later that month.[8] Balfour was defeated in a primary challenge in 2014.[9] When he left office, he was the longest-serving Republican in the Georgia Senate.[10]

Indictment and acquittal

Balfour was indicted by a Fulton County grand jury for eighteen counts of falsifying expense reports and theft by taking.[11] 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.[12] In December, Balfour was acquitted of all charges and his suspension was reversed.[13][14]

References
  1. "Days of Diners Lighting Up Numbered", Rome News-Tribune, April 5, 2005.
  2. "Georgia Senate Republicans Elect Majority Leadership Officers", Atlanta Inquirer, November 30, 2002  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) .
  3. "Democrats bumped from key committees", Associated Press in Athens Banner-Herald, January 15, 2003.
  4. "Balfour out as chairman of rules committee", Associated Press in Gwinnett Daily Post, January 15, 2013.
  5. http://www.ncsl.org/Documents/public/execlscc/NCSLOfficers_1975-2013.pdf
  6. "National Conference of State Legislatures.(People & Politics)", State Legislatures, September 1, 2009  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) .
  7. "Balfour to run for Linder Congress seat". The Augusta Chronicle. March 1, 2010. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  8. Galloway, Jim (March 18, 2010). "Don Balfour pulls out of race for Congress — and state Senate". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on March 22, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  9. Young, Camie (May 20, 2014). "Balfour disappointed in election defeat, but grateful for 22 years in office". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  10. Josh Green, "Senate race pits Balfour against Lawrenceville attorney", Gwinnett Daily Post, October 31, 2012.
  11. Galloway, Jim (September 27, 2013). "State Sen. Don Balfour indicted on 18 counts". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  12. Kristina Torres, "Balfour suspended from office, kicked out of caucus", The Atlanta Journal Constitution, November 13, 2013.
  13. Kristina Torres, "Balfour reinstated to GOP Caucus, committee leadership", The Atlanta Journal Constitution, December 19, 2013.
  14. Michelle Wirth, "Senator Don Balfour Returns to Georgia Senate", WABE, January 13, 2014.
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