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Mark Taylor (politician)
Encyclopedia
Mark Fletcher Taylor is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party
. He served two terms between 1999 to 2007 as the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
. Taylor was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia in the 2006 general election, losing to Republican incumbent Sonny Perdue
.
. He is a graduate of Deerfield-Windsor Preparatory School in Albany. Taylor earned a bachelor's degree
in political science from Emory University
and received his Juris Doctor
from the University of Georgia
. Taylor was a collegiate member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Taylor represented Albany in the Georgia Senate
until his election as lieutenant governor in 1998.
Taylor is married to the former Sacha Wilbanks of Lavonia, Georgia
. Taylor has one adult son, Fletcher. Taylor is a member of the Porterfield United Methodist Church
in Albany.
, Taylor was elected to the Georgia Senate. He won a special election on May 3, 1987 and succeeded to Democratic incumbent Al Holloway as the State Senator representing the 12th district, which encompasses the city of Albany and Dougherty County
. He won re-election in 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1996.
Taylor became floor leader under Harris' successor, Zell Miller
. In that role, he marshalled bipartisan support for Miller's HOPE Scholarship program
in 1993. Taylor also worked to help create the Peachcare
program, which provides health care assistance to uninsured children of poor families.
During the early 1990s, Taylor made crime reduction a major priority. He secured passage of the "Victim's Bill of Rights" as well as the "Two Strikes" law, at the time the strictest anti-violent crime measure in the country. Taylor also successfully advocated for Georgia's first DNA
database, which has now solved more than 300 previously unsolved crimes.
He continued his efforts to reduce crime by successfully working to remove the statute of limitations on violent crimes such as rape and aggravated child molestation. Taylor also promoted a child endangerment law and legislation allowing judges to add an electronic monitoring device to the sentences of individuals convicted of crimes against children.
Taylor strongly opposed recent cuts in the Peachcare and HOPE scholarship programs. Recently, Taylor also successfully worked to promote the HEROES Act, which provides financial assistance to Georgia members of the National Guard
. He worked to ensure equitable women's health insurance coverage and made the Georgia RX program a priority, which would provide access to affordable prescription drug coverage for the elderly and uninsured Georgians at no cost to taxpayers . He worked with state EMS officials and hospitals to implement a statewide trauma network.
Taylor improved the Defense of Scouting bill to insure constitutional protections were to extended all charitable youth organizations in Georgia.
Taylor focused on education by supporting increases in teachers' salaries and fighting for smaller class sizes in grades K-3.
Taylor is an honorary chairman of Put Help in the Helmet, an organization that provides relief to all First Responders affected by Hurricane Katrina
or Hurricane Rita
, including fire, rescue, law enforcement officers, nurses, and Emergency Medical Service professionals.
, and officially announced his candidacy on April 18, 2006. He built his campaign around his record on education and health care issues, which he felt that incumbent Republican
Sonny Perdue
has not adequately addressed. Taylor was opposed by Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox
and two other minor candidates in the Democratic primary election
on July 18, 2006. Taylor garnered approximately 52 percent of the vote in the primary election, gaining him the right to oppose Governor Perdue in the 2006 Georgia
gubernatorial election.
had been inserted into the Wikipedia article on Mark Taylor about the 2005 arrest of Taylor's son on charges of driving under the influence
, causing an accident in which a passenger in his car was killed. According to the Associated Press
, Internet entrepreneur and Wikipedia co-founder and de facto leader Jimmy Wales
told reporters that the edit had been traced back to an IP registered to the Cox campaign, but said he had no way of knowing who made the change. After the story broke, Cox denied any knowledge of the alleged actions and said she had instructed her staff to not make the incident an issue. Her campaign manager, Morton Brilliant, resigned shortly thereafter.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He served two terms between 1999 to 2007 as the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
The Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is a constitutional officer of the state, elected to a 4-year term by popular vote. Unlike some states, the lieutenant governor is elected on a separate ticket from the state Governor....
. Taylor was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia in the 2006 general election, losing to Republican incumbent Sonny Perdue
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
.
Biography
Taylor was born on May 7, 1957, in Albany, GeorgiaAlbany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
. He is a graduate of Deerfield-Windsor Preparatory School in Albany. Taylor earned a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in political science from Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
and received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Georgia
University of Georgia School of Law
The University of Georgia School of Law is a graduate school of the University of Georgia. Founded in 1859 and located in Athens, Georgia, USA, Georgia Law was formerly known as the Lumpkin School of Law. The Law School is the second oldest of the University's schools and colleges. The University...
. Taylor was a collegiate member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Taylor represented Albany in the Georgia Senate
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
until his election as lieutenant governor in 1998.
Taylor is married to the former Sacha Wilbanks of Lavonia, Georgia
Lavonia, Georgia
Lavonia is a city in Franklin County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,827 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lavonia is located at ....
. Taylor has one adult son, Fletcher. Taylor is a member of the Porterfield United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
in Albany.
State Senate experience
During the administration of Governor Joe Frank HarrisJoe Frank Harris
Joe Frank Harris is an American conservative Democratic politician who served as the 78th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1983 to 1991....
, Taylor was elected to the Georgia Senate. He won a special election on May 3, 1987 and succeeded to Democratic incumbent Al Holloway as the State Senator representing the 12th district, which encompasses the city of Albany and Dougherty County
Dougherty County, Georgia
Dougherty County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 96,065. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 95,859. It is included in the Albany, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He won re-election in 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1996.
Taylor became floor leader under Harris' successor, Zell Miller
Zell Miller
Zell Bryan Miller is an American politician from the US state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as Lieutenant Governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as United States Senator from 2000 to 2005....
. In that role, he marshalled bipartisan support for Miller's HOPE Scholarship program
HOPE Scholarship
The HOPE Scholarship Program created in 1993 under the supervision of Georgia Governor Zell Miller, is a merit-based higher education scholarship that is funded entirely by revenue from the Georgia Lottery and is administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission...
in 1993. Taylor also worked to help create the Peachcare
PeachCare
PeachCare for Kids is a low-cost health insurance program for children of uninsured, low-income families in the state of Georgia who do not qualify for Medicaid...
program, which provides health care assistance to uninsured children of poor families.
During the early 1990s, Taylor made crime reduction a major priority. He secured passage of the "Victim's Bill of Rights" as well as the "Two Strikes" law, at the time the strictest anti-violent crime measure in the country. Taylor also successfully advocated for Georgia's first DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
database, which has now solved more than 300 previously unsolved crimes.
As Lieutenant Governor
Taylor declined running for re-election as a state senator in 1998 to pursue a run for the office of Lieutenant Governor. He defeated Republican candidate Mitch Skandalakis and took office in early 1999. He won re-election in 2002 over Republican nominee Steve Stancil.He continued his efforts to reduce crime by successfully working to remove the statute of limitations on violent crimes such as rape and aggravated child molestation. Taylor also promoted a child endangerment law and legislation allowing judges to add an electronic monitoring device to the sentences of individuals convicted of crimes against children.
Taylor strongly opposed recent cuts in the Peachcare and HOPE scholarship programs. Recently, Taylor also successfully worked to promote the HEROES Act, which provides financial assistance to Georgia members of the National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
. He worked to ensure equitable women's health insurance coverage and made the Georgia RX program a priority, which would provide access to affordable prescription drug coverage for the elderly and uninsured Georgians at no cost to taxpayers . He worked with state EMS officials and hospitals to implement a statewide trauma network.
Taylor improved the Defense of Scouting bill to insure constitutional protections were to extended all charitable youth organizations in Georgia.
Taylor focused on education by supporting increases in teachers' salaries and fighting for smaller class sizes in grades K-3.
Taylor is an honorary chairman of Put Help in the Helmet, an organization that provides relief to all First Responders affected by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
or Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
, including fire, rescue, law enforcement officers, nurses, and Emergency Medical Service professionals.
Gubernatorial candidacy
In 2005, Taylor announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for the office of Governor of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and officially announced his candidacy on April 18, 2006. He built his campaign around his record on education and health care issues, which he felt that incumbent Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Sonny Perdue
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
has not adequately addressed. Taylor was opposed by Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox
Cathy Cox
Lera Catharine "Cathy" Cox is a Georgia politician, a member of the Democratic Party, the former Secretary of State of Georgia, and a candidate for Governor of Georgia in 2006...
and two other minor candidates in the Democratic primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
on July 18, 2006. Taylor garnered approximately 52 percent of the vote in the primary election, gaining him the right to oppose Governor Perdue in the 2006 Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
gubernatorial election.
Wikipedia controversy
On April 26, 2006, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a paragraph based on opposition researchOpposition research
Opposition research is:# The term used to classify and describe efforts of supporters or paid consultants of a political candidate to legally investigate the biographical, legal or criminal, medical, educational, financial, public and private administrative and or voting records of the opposing...
had been inserted into the Wikipedia article on Mark Taylor about the 2005 arrest of Taylor's son on charges of driving under the influence
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
, causing an accident in which a passenger in his car was killed. According to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Internet entrepreneur and Wikipedia co-founder and de facto leader Jimmy Wales
Jimmy Wales
Jimmy Donal "Jimbo" Wales is an American Internet entrepreneur best known as a co-founder and promoter of the online non-profit encyclopedia Wikipedia and the Wikia company....
told reporters that the edit had been traced back to an IP registered to the Cox campaign, but said he had no way of knowing who made the change. After the story broke, Cox denied any knowledge of the alleged actions and said she had instructed her staff to not make the incident an issue. Her campaign manager, Morton Brilliant, resigned shortly thereafter.