Ben Watson (politician)

Ben Watson is an American politician who has served in the Georgia State Senate from the 1st District since he was appointed in 2014. He previously served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2010 to 2014. Watson is an active member of the Republican Party, and he has also been a part of various committees and caucuses in the state of Georgia.[1]

Ben Watson
Member of the Georgia State Senate
from the 1st district
Assumed office
January 12, 2015
Preceded byBuddy Carter
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 166th district
In office
January 14, 2013 – January 12, 2015
Preceded byDelvis Dutton
Succeeded byJesse Petrea
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 163rd district
In office
January 10, 2011 – January 14, 2013
Preceded byBurke Day
Succeeded byJ. Craig Gordon
Personal details
Born (1959-07-27) July 27, 1959
Twin City, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican

Background and Education

Ben was born on July 27, 1959 in Twin City, Georgia. He grew up in Isle of Hope, Georgia. He now resides in Savannah, Georgia with his wife, Bernice, who is a Savannah-Chatham Public School teacher, and their three children.

Ben technically has 3 degrees. His first degree is a BA from Emanuel County Institute, 1977. His second degree is a BA from the University of Georgia, 1981. Finally, his third degree is a MD in Internal Medicine from the Medical College of Georgia.[2]

Career

Ben's career is pretty easy to follow. After getting his MD, he has professional experience in working as a primary care physician at SouthCoast Medical Group in which he specializes in elderly patients. He has been employed by that specific group since 1988 and still works there today.

Ben began his career in politics by becoming a representative in the Georgia State House of Representatives for District 166 and worked there from 2010-2014. In 2014, he was elected Senator in the Georgia State Senate in District 1. He took over the seat from Sen. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, who campaigned for a higher spot in Congress.[3]

List of Current Legislative Committees:[4]

  • Member, Appropriations
  • Chair, Health and Human Services
  • Member, Insurance and Labor
  • Member, Public Safety
  • Member, Subcommittee on General Welfare and Safety
  • Member, Subcommittee on Healthcare Delivery and Access
  • Member, Subcommittee on Scope of Practice
  • Member, Transportation
  • Member, Veterans, Military and Homeland Security

List of Former Committees/Caucuses:[5]

  • Member, Georgia State Senate Appropriations Committee, present
  • Member, Georgia State Senate Ethics Committee, present
  • Member, Georgia State Senate Health and Human Services Committee, present
  • Member, Georgia State Senate Public Safety Committee, present
  • Member, Georgia State Senate Retirement Committee, present
  • Member, Georgia State Senate Transportation Committee, present
  • Chair, Georgia State Senate Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security Committee, present
  • Former Vice Chair, Economic Development and Tourism Committee, Georgia State Senate
  • Former Member, Ethics Committee, Georgia State Senate
  • Former Member, Georgia State House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Health Subcommittee
  • Former Member, Georgia State House of Representatives Health and Human Services Committee
  • Former Member, Georgia State House of Representatives Higher Education Committee
  • Former Secretary, Georgia State House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee
  • Former Member, Subcommittee on Abusive Billing Practices, Georgia State Senate
  • Former Member, Subcommittee on Community Health, Georgia State Senate
  • Former Member, Subcommittee on Insurance, Georgia State Senate
  • Former Member, Subcommittee on Pharmacology, Georgia State Senate

Elections

Ben won his most recent election in 2018. His current term ends on January 10, 2021. He is running for re-election to the Georgia State Senate to represent District 1 and is on the ballot in the Republican primary on June 9, 2020. He will be running against Kerri McGinty, who is running in the Democratic primary, in the general election for his current seat.[6]

References
  1. "Member". www.senate.ga.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  2. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  3. News, Savannah Morning. "Savannah Rep. Ben Watson to seek Ga. state Senate seat". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  4. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  5. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  6. "Ben Watson". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
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