Alisha Searcy
Alisha Searcy (Democratic Party) was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, representing District 39. She assumed office in 2003. She left office in 2015.
Searcy (Democratic Party) ran for election for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Searcy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Alisha Thomas Searcy was born in Georgia. She earned a bachelor's degree from Spelman College in 2000 and a graduate degree from Kennesaw State University in 2017. Her career experience includes working as an owner of an education consulting business, school board member coach and mentor, state legislator, and superintendent. Searcy has been affiliated with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Joseph E. Lowery Institute for Justice and Human Rights, NAACP as a member, and Education in Equity as a founding board member.[1]
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Morgan served on the following committees:
| Georgia committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Education |
| • Governmental Affairs |
| • Health and Human Services |
| • Juvenile Justice |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Morgan served on the following committees:
| Georgia committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Children and Youth |
| • Education |
| • Governmental Affairs |
| • Health and Human Services |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Morgan served on the following committees:
| Georgia committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Children and Youth |
| • Education |
| • Governmental Affairs |
| • Health and Human Services |
Elections
2022
See also: Georgia Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2022
General election
General election for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools
Incumbent Richard Woods defeated Alisha Searcy in the general election for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Richard Woods (R) | 54.2 | 2,115,728 |
 | Alisha Searcy (D)  | 45.8 | 1,788,671 | |
| Total votes: 3,904,399 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools
Alisha Searcy defeated Jaha Howard, James Morrow, and Currey Hitchens in the Democratic primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Alisha Searcy | 57.0 | 382,792 |
 | Jaha Howard | 15.0 | 100,675 | |
 | James Morrow | 14.6 | 97,821 | |
 | Currey Hitchens | 13.5 | 90,514 | |
| Total votes: 671,802 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools
Incumbent Richard Woods defeated John Barge in the Republican primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Richard Woods | 72.6 | 802,260 |
 | John Barge | 27.4 | 302,681 | |
| Total votes: 1,104,941 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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
To view Searcy's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.
2014
Morgan ran for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools in 2014.[2] She lost the Democratic nomination in the primary runoff against Valarie Wilson on July 22, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.
Election Results
Primary Runoff - July 22, 2014
| Georgia State Superintendents of Schools, Democratic Primary Runoff, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 Valarie Wilson |
54.4% | 73,740 | ||
| Alisha Thomas Morgan | 45.6% | 61,882 | ||
| Total Votes | 135,622 | |||
| Election results via Georgia Secretary of State. | ||||
Democratic Primary - May 20, 2014
| Georgia Superintendent of Schools, Democratic Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Valarie Wilson |
32.6% | 96,849 | ||
| Alisha Thomas Morgan |
26.4% | 78,460 | ||
| Denise Freeman | 18.3% | 54,428 | ||
| Tarnisha Dent | 13.5% | 40,007 | ||
| Jurita Forehand Mays | 5.7% | 16,818 | ||
| Rita Robinzine | 3.6% | 10,609 | ||
| Total Votes | 297,171 | |||
| Election results via Georgia Secretary of State Election Results. | ||||
Race backround
In the May 20 primary election, neither of the crowded Democratic and Republican fields for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools managed to produce a candidate with at least 50 percent of the vote in their respective primaries.[3] As a result, the top two vote-getters from each race competed in a runoff on July 22 to decide who would advance to the general election: state Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan and former Decatur School Board Chairwoman Valarie Wilson for the Democrats; chief academic officer for the state Department of Education Mike Buck and veteran Irwin County educator Richard Woods for the Republicans.[4][5][6][7]
Wilson was declared the Democratic nominee for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools over state Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan late on May 20, while the GOP runoff between Buck and Woods was too close to call.[8][9][10] [11] With 100 percent precincts fully reported the day after, excluding provisional ballots, Woods led by less than 730 votes out of about 397,800 cast—well below the one percent margin Georgia election law deems necessary to conduct a recount.[12][10] On Thursday, July 31, the ensuing recount concluded that Woods had won the race by 713 votes.[13]
As the sole open state executive seat in the 2014 elections, the superintendent race was expected to draw a substantial lineup of hopefuls. Outgoing incumbent John Barge, a Republican first elected Georgia's state schools chief in 2010, decided to forgo a possible re-election bid this year, instead setting his sights on the governorship. After being defeated by Nathan Deal in the GOP primary, Barge was unable to join in the superintendent ballot. Barge's choice was unique among the 10-man, all-Republican roster of Georgia executive incumbents, all of whom were considered likely to be re-elected, and exposed the superintendent's office as a target for Democrats looking to gain a foothold in the state's executive branch.[14][15]
On November 4, Woods was elected to replace Barge as superintendent. He edged out Wilson by a margin of more than 10 percentage points.[16]
2012
Morgan ran in the 2012 election for Georgia House of Representatives District 39. Morgan ran against Anne Taylor in the Democratic primary on July 31, 2012. The general election took place on November 6, 2012.[17] Morgan ran unopposed in the general election.[18]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alisha T. Morgan Incumbent |
100% | 16,665 | |
| Total Votes | 16,665 | |||
2010
Morgan ran for re-election to the 39th District seat in 2010. No one filed to run against her in the general election. The general election took place on November 2, 2010.[19]
| Georgia House of Representatives, District 39 (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Alisha Thomas Morgan (D)
|
10,920 | 100.0% | ||
She defeated Beth Gray in the July 20 primary by a margin of 2,296-831.[20]
| Georgia House of Representatives, District 39 - Democratic Primary (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Alisha Thomas Morgan
|
2,296 | 73.4% | ||
| Betty Gray | 831 | 26.6% | ||
2008
In 2008 Morgan was re-elected to the Georgia House of Representatives District 39. Morgan (D) finished with 14,178 votes while her opponent Chris Cooper (R) finished with 5,369 votes.[21] Morgan raised $32,781 for her campaign fund.[22]
| Georgia House of Representatives District 39 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Alisha Thomas Morgan (D)
|
14,178 | |||
| Chris Cooper (R) | 5,369 | |||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Alisha Searcy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Searcy's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
I am a wife, mom (and bonus mom) of 3 school age children. A graduate of Spelman college. I hold a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. I am the first African American elected to the Georgia House of Representatives from Cobb County and a former superintendent with a track record of turning around schools. I am the only candidate in this race with a legislative background and the only candidate who has led schools before.
- I will be a champion for teachers ensuring they have a voice, a platform to speak up and will listen and act on their needs because I understand they are the key to a strong public education system.
- Parents must be empowered as active parents within our system. That includes ensuring those with children with special needs having the tools to advocate for them effectively.
- I will work with parents, teachers, students, faith, business and community leaders to RE-IMAGINE public education. We must stop delivering a telegram education to a TikTok generation!
I am passionate about supporting our teachers, doing more than giving them a raise. I want to significantly increase the starting salary, recruit teachers like NBA stars, and create a system where they consistently feel valued, respected and supported.
I am passionate about creating a public system that is reflective of the students we serve and the world we live in. That includes providing mental health services to students and school personnel, wrap around services to students, a delivery system that is leverages technology and 21st century learning, and curriculum that is relevant. This includes exposing students to the thousands of careers available to them, offering more than just college. I would like to partner with school districts to create pre- apprenticeship programs and with industry to create a pipeline to prosperity for our students.
I am passionate about families having options within the public school system. I believe that a one size fits all education system is outdated. I want families to have access to the schools that work best for their families regardless of their zip code.
The State School Superintendent in a policy and rule making job. It requires this leader to work with the legislature, the governor, and the state board of education. It also requires this leader to work with local school districts, their board members and superintendents.
The qualities necessary for this role include the ability to work across the aisle, to find common ground, to be able to navigate the political and legislative processes, and always serve as the chief advocate for children, students, families and educators.
Dr. Joseph Lowery was a civil rights icon, activist and minister. I began working with him when I was a student at Spelman and President of the NAACP college chapter. I would like to follow his example because he led with tremendous humility. He could sit with presidents and could dine with homeless people, but his humor, personality, and most of all his convictions for serving the least of these never changed. I learned so much from him over the 20 plus years we worked together. Even when we disagreed on issues, he always supported me, always made himself available when I needed him, and gave me counsel that will las a lifetime.
Integrity, accessibility, vision, and optimism are the most important characteristics for an elected official. I had the privilege of serving in elected office for 12 years. Six times, voters went to the polls to elect me. These were the key characteristics that were the key to my success and enabled to effectively serve my constituents. These are the same characteristics I will serve with as State School Superintendent.
I am proud to have already established a legacy by passing laws in Georgia that provide options in the public school system for parents.
As State School Superintendent, I would like to leave a legacy of schools that are well resourced, teachers who are respected, and students whose high school diplomas are keys to tremendous success in their lives due to the education they receive in every single school, regardless of their zip code.
The historical event that made a tremendous impact was the election of Barack Obama as POTUS. I was a delegate during the convention and it was a life altering moment in our nation's history. I also had the great honor of attending a reception at the White House for an organization I helped co-found called the Young Elected Officials Network. The President hosted the reception for us and I was able to take a photo and interact with him at the White House. It was an incredible full circle moment and I will never forget it.
My very first job after graduating from college was Southern Regional Organizer. I worked with young people in the southern region of the United States to organize campaigns to stop gun violence. Once I was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, I transitioned out of that role 2 years later.
Will, by Will Smith is currently my favorite book. I enjoyed reading about his rise to success, the challenges he's overcome, and the issues he still faces in his life. I have great respect for his vulnerability and authenticity. I believe we learn so much about others and ourselves when we are able to be our full selves openly and honestly. The book was entertaining, interesting, and enlightening.
The most important responsibilities are working within the legislative process and working with the state board. These required experience and background in these areas, and a skillset to know how to navigate in these spaces. I am the only candidate who has such a background and a track record of getting things done in these spaces.
The little known power is having the biggest platform in the state to champion the needs of children, parents and educators. The State School Superintendent should be the visionary for public education.
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
Note: 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 the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard 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 to [email protected].
2014
In 2014, the Georgia State Legislature was in session from January 13 through March 21.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the Georgia State Legislature was in session from January 13 through March 21.
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the Georgia State Legislature was in session from January 9 through March 29.
|
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Georgia State Superintendent of Schools |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 14, 2022
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedsuper14 - ↑ Georgia Election Results, Secretary of State, "Primary Statewide Election Results," accessed July 21, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmorgan - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwilson - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbuck - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwoods - ↑ abc walbnews10, "Richard Woods awaits final results, running for School Superintendent," July 23, 2014
- ↑ The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, "Recount looks likely in Republican superintendent race," July 23, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Rome News-Tribune, "UPDATE: Woods edges Buck for Georgia Superintendent Republican runoff, results within margin for recount," July 23, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Election Results, Secretary of State, "Primary Statewide Election Results," accessed July 21, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State Election Results, "General Primary Runoff and General Nonpartisan Election Runoff July 22, 2014," accessed July 23, 2014
- ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Buck loses recount in Georgia GOP schools race," July 31, 2014
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 Governors Race Ratings for July 18, 2014," July 18, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Qualifying Candidate Information," accessed May 19, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedrunoffcc - ↑ Georgia Secretary of State Elections Division, "Candidate List," accessed May 29, 2012
- ↑ Georgia Elections Division, "2012 Election Results" accessed November 16, 2012
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Official 2010 Election results," accessed April 16, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Official 2010 Primary election results," accessed April 16, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Official 2008 General election results," accessed April 16, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2008 Contributions," accessed January 14, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Georgia House of Representatives District 39 2003–2015 |
Succeeded by Erica R. Thomas (D) |
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State of Georgia Atlanta (capital) |
|---|---|
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