Sanford Bishop

After only one term in the state senate, he ran for the 2nd district in 1992, which was held by six-term U.S. Congressman Charles Hatcher, a white moderate Democrat. The 2nd had been reconfigured as a black-majority district during congressional apportionment following the 1990 Census. Bishop finished second behind Hatcher in a crowded six-way primary. Hatcher failed to reach the 50% threshold, and was forced into a runoff election. During the campaign Bishop attacked Hatcher for bouncing 819 checks in the House banking scandal. Bishop defeated him 53%-47%.[9] In the general election, he defeated Republican Jim Dudley 64%-36%.[10]

In the Democratic primary, he defeated James Bush 67%-33%.[11] In the general election, he won re-election to a second term with 66%.[12]

In 1995, a 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court ruled that the redistricting of Georgia had violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 2nd district was thus redrawn. The newly redrawn district was 60% white. Nonetheless, he won re-election to a third term with 54% of the vote.[13]

Bishop won re-election to a fourth term against Republican Joseph F. McCormick with 57% of the vote.[14] During the campaign, Bishop received twice the campaign financing that his opponent raised. [15][16]

Bishop defeated Dylan Glenn, a young black Republican who received strong backing from many national Republican leaders. The vote was 53%-47%.[17]

Bishop won re-election to a sixth term unopposed.[18]

Bishop won re-election to a seventh term with 67% of the vote.[19]

He won re-election to an eighth term with 68% of the vote.[20]

Bishop won re-election to a ninth term with 69% of the vote.[21]

Bishop won re-election to a tenth term against Republican State Representative Mike Keown, 51%-49%,[22] the closest margin of his career. In a year where the Democrats lost the majority in the house, the New York Times noted that Bishop's re-election possibilities seemed slim as an "incumbent in an anti-Washington year", his identity as a black man in a majority white district (49% White,47% Black), and the scholarship scandal surrounding his non-profit.[23]

After redistricting, the 2nd district has once again become a black majority district. Notably, it added most of Macon, previously the heart of the 8th district. Bishop was heavily favored in the general election as a result.[24] As expected, he defeated Republican John House with 63 percent of the vote.

Bishop during the 103rd Congress

Bishop is one of the black Democrats in the House. He is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus,[25] as well as the Blue Dog Democrats,[26] a group of moderate to conservative House Democrats. Due to his willingness to work across the aisle, Congressman Bishop was ranked the 16th most bipartisan member of the 114th Congress. The ranking was part of the Bipartisan Index put forth by The Lugar Center in collaboration with Georgetown University.[27] Serving a primarily agricultural district, Bishop has fought to preserve the federal price supports for peanuts, southwest Georgia's most important crop. The New York Times quoted Mr. Adams, chairman of the agency that administers Federal farm programs in Georgia saying "It's questionable whether it would have survived without the votes he brought to it".[28] In 1997, he caused considerable controversy within his own party by cosponsoring a bill by U.S. Representative Ernest Istook (R-Oklahoma) to introduce a constitutional amendment to protect religious expression on public property, known as the H. J. Res, 78, the Religious Freedom Amendment. The specific wording of the amendment allowing the practice of religion on public property, most notably public schools, reads as follows:

To secure the people's fight to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: The people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage and traditions shall not be infringed. The Government shall not require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity, prescribe school prayers, discriminate- against religion, or deny equal access to a benefit on account of religion ... The people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, or traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed.[29]

On October 10, 2002, Sanford Bishop was one of only four of 36 Congressional Black Caucus members who voted for the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War. The other three Congressional Black Caucus members who voted for the resolution authorizing the Iraq War are no longer members of Congress: Bill Jefferson of Louisiana, Albert Wynn of Maryland, and Harold Ford, Jr. of Tennessee.[30][31][32]

On September 10, 2007, Sanford Bishop endorsed Barack Obama for President and was co-chair of Georgia for Obama campaign; Bishop's wife, Vivian Creighton Bishop, a municipal court clerk in Columbus, was co-chair of the Georgia Women for Hillary committee.[33] However, he joined with other pro-life Democrats who voted no on President Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act because of wording in the bill that permits federal funding for Abortions.[34]

In September, 2010, the Associated Press reported that Bishop had, between 2003 and 2005, directed scholarships and awards funded by the Congressional Black Caucus to ineligible persons, including his stepdaughter, Aayesha Owens Reese, his niece, Emmaundia J. Whitaker, and other people with close ties to the family, threatening to turn the program into a larger political problem for the party. Ashton McRae released a statement by Bishop's office: "It is our understanding that the CBC Foundation in 2008 revisited the guidelines and processes for its scholarship programs, and as such, included language to clarify that CBC family members are not eligible to receive the scholarships. These scholarships ... were awarded prior to 2008.[35] "Ultimately Rep. Bishop's spokesman said the congressman would repay the scholarship fund for any awards he made in violation of the rules.[36] Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington mentioned Bishop in its annual Most Corrupt Members of Congress report in 2011.[37]

In 1997, the Pigford v. Glickman lawsuit came out of legislative discrimination of black farmers, the case was led by Timothy Pigford and 400 black farmers. The Washington Times reported that by the end of the case in 1999, over 94,000 claims were filed in conjuncture with the original case, "even though the U.S. Census Bureau never counted more than 33,000 black farmers in America during the years in question."[38] In 2007, then Senator Barack Obama passed legislation to increase the amount of money given via Pigford II. Since then reports from multiple news sources have reported on the growing reports of fraud within the program. In February 2011, three farmers brought these allegations of fraud to Mr. Bishop, including Eddie Slaughter, vice president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, Bishop responded with "yes, I am aware that there is fraud in the program, that's why anti-fraud provisions were written into the settlement ... It's not my job to monitor fraud in the program."[38][39] Interviews with Mr. Slaughter have circulated the internet and criticism has been raised regarding his comments about fraud allegations leading the end of the program.[40]

In 2020, Office of Congressional Ethics released a report alleging Bishop misused over $90,000 of campaign funds to cover personal expenses[41] like fuel, golf expenses, meals, travel, tuition and entertainment. A full House Ethics Committee investigation was subsequently launched.[42]

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)

• Congressional Black Caucus
• Blue Dog Coalition[43]
• Congressional Diabetes Caucus
• International Conservation Caucus
• Sportsmen's Caucus
• Congressional Cement Caucus
• United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus[44]
• U.S.-Japan Caucus[45]