50+ Elected Officials Across Georgia and North Carolina Endorse Supreme Court Expansion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 8, 2022

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WASHINGTON, DC— On Monday, 36 elected officials in Georgia and 18 in North Carolina announced their support for adding four seats to the United States Supreme Court, which would bring balance to a Court captured by far-right interests. The new endorsements represent the latest show of momentum for the Court reform movement following the Court’s extreme decisions this summer on guns, abortion rights and climate change.

Georgia officials signed on to a letter thanking Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, for his sponsorship of the Judiciary Act of 2021. In North Carolina, elected officials sent letters to state and county Democratic Party leadership urging that  Supreme Court expansion be included in the 2022 state party’s platform. 

The signers in both states represent a wide range of elected positions, including state senators and representatives, mayors, and members of local councils and boards of education.  

The announcement Thursday follows similar endorsements for Court expansion by local elected officials in  Illinois and Washington earlier this  year.

Recent polls show a plurality of Americans support Court expansion, including greater than 70 percent of Democrats.

The full list of Georgia and North Carolina officials who have newly endorsed Court reform can be found here: 

Georgia

State Senator Gloria Butler 

State Senator Nikki Merritt 

State Senator Tonya Anderson 

State Senator  Kim Jackson 

State Senator Nan Orrock 

State Senator Valencia Seay 

State Representative James  Beverly 

State Representative Billy Mitchell 

State Representative Pedro Marin 

State Representative Erick Allen 

State Representative El-Mahdi Holly 

State Representative Jasmine Clark 

State Representative Derrick Jackson 

State Representative CaMia Hopson-Jackson 

State Representative Kim Schofield 

State Representative Rhonda Burnough 

State Representative Davis 

State Representative Donna McLeod 

State Representative Shelly Hutchinson 

Henry County Chairwoman Carlotta Harrell 

DeKalb County Commissioner Ted Terry 

Gwinnett County Commissioner Kirkland Carden 

DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson 

DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson 

Fulton County Commissioner Khadijah Rahman 

Fulton County Commissioner Natalie Hall 

Union City Mayor Vince Williams 

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson 

Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelli Girtz   

APS Board Chair Jason Esteves 

Gwinnett County Chairman Everton Blair

North Carolina

State Senator Natalie Murdock

Orange County Commissioner and Chair Renee Price

Former Orange County Commissioner Penny Rich 

Durham County Commissioner and Vice Chair Wendy Jacobs

Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam 

Durham County Board Member Natalie Beyer

Boone Mayor Tim Futrelle

Carrboro Mayor Damon Seils

Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger 

Hillsborough Mayor Jenn Weaver

Durham City Council Member Jillian Johnson 

Durham City Council Member Charlie Reese

Durham City Council Member Leonardo Williams 

Carborro Council Member Barbara Foushee 

Hillsborough Commissioner Matt Hughes

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education Vice Chair Rani Dasi 

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