Sanford Bishop

Sanford Dixon Bishop Jr. (born February 4, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 2nd congressional district, serving since 1993. He became the dean of Georgia's congressional delegation after the death of John Lewis. A member of the Blue Dog Coalition, he belongs to the conservative faction of the Democratic Party. His district is in southwestern Georgia and includes Albany, Thomasville, and most of Columbus and Macon.

Sanford Bishop
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Charles Hatcher
Member of the Georgia Senate from the 15th district
In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Gary Parker
Succeeded by	Ed Harbison
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 94th district
In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1991
Preceded by	C. Ed Berry
Succeeded by	Bill Lee
Personal details
Born	Sanford Dixon Bishop Jr. (1947-02-04) February 4, 1947 (age 76) Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Vivian Creighton
Children	1
Residence(s)	Albany, Georgia, U.S.
Education	Morehouse College (BA) Emory University (JD)
Website	House website
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1968–1971
Sanford Bishop's voice Sanford Bishop speaks on the FY2015 military construction and veterans affairs appropriations bill Recorded April 30, 2014

Early life, education, and legal career

Bishop was born in Mobile, Alabama, to Minnie B. Slade and Sanford Dixon Bishop,^[1] the first president of Bishop State Community College. Bishop obtained a B.A. degree from Morehouse College in 1968, majoring in political science and minoring in English, and a J.D. degree from Emory University School of Law in 1971.^[2][3] At Morehouse, he was a classmate of Herman Cain. He served in the United States Army between 1969 and 1971.^[4] Bishop subsequently operated a law firm in Columbus, Georgia.

Bishop has received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), given to Eagle Scouts for distinguished career achievement.^[5][6] He is a member of BSA's Order of the Arrow (OA) and as a youth was on the OA ceremonies team.^[5] He is a resident of Albany, Georgia, where he is a member of the Mount Zion Baptist Church. Bishop is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, initiated at Morehouse's Pi chapter.^[7] He is a Shriner and 33° Mason.^[8]

Georgia legislature

Bishop was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1977, where he remained until being elected to the Georgia Senate in 1990.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

1992

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]

1994

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

1996

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, Bishop won reelection to a third term with 54% of the vote.^[13]

1998

Bishop won reelection 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]

2000

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

2002

Bishop won reelection to a sixth term unopposed.^[18]

2004

Bishop won reelection to a seventh term with 67% of the vote.^[19]

2006

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia, 2006

He won reelection to an eighth term with 68% of the vote.^[20]

2008

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia, 2008 § District 2

Bishop won reelection to a ninth term with 69% of the vote.^[21]

2010

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia, 2010 § District 2

Bishop won reelection 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 wrote that Bishop's reelection odds seemed slim because he was an "incumbent in an anti-Washington year", because he was a black man in a majority white district (49% White, 47% Black), and because of a scholarship scandal at his nonprofit.^[23]

2012

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia, 2012 § District 2

After redistricting, the 2nd district became 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] He defeated Republican John House with 63% of the vote.^[25]

Tenure

 

Bishop during the 103rd Congress

Bishop is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus,^[26] as well as the Blue Dog Democrats,^[27] a group of moderate to conservative House Democrats. Due to his willingness to work across the aisle, 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.^[28] 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 the chairman of the agency that administers federal farm programs in Georgia as saying, "It's questionable whether it would have survived without the votes [Bishop] brought to it".^[29] In 1997, Bishop caused considerable controversy within his own party by cosponsoring a bill by U.S. Representative Ernest Istook to introduce a constitutional amendment to protect religious expression on public property, known as the H. J. Res, 78, the Religious Freedom Amendment. The wording of the amendment allowing the practice of religion on public property, most notably public schools:

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.^[30]

On October 10, 2002, Bishop was one of only four of 36 Congressional Black Caucus members to vote for the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War. The other three Congressional Black Caucus members who voted for the resolution are no longer members of Congress: Bill Jefferson, Albert Wynn, and Harold Ford Jr.^[31][32][33]

On September 10, 2007, Bishop endorsed Barack Obama for President and co-chaired the Georgia for Obama campaign; his wife, Vivian Creighton Bishop, a municipal court clerk in Columbus, co-chaired the Georgia Women for Hillary committee.^[34]

Bishop serves on the Appropriations Committee, and chairs the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

Controversies

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 his family, threatening to turn the program into a 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 Bishop's spokesman said he 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 against 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 conjunction 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 February 2011, three farmers brought allegations of fraud to Bishop, including Eddie Slaughter, vice president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association. Bishop told The Albany Herald that he was aware of fraud in the program, but that the settlement's anti-fraud provisions would prevent disbursement of funds to those who didn't qualify.^[39][40] Interviews with Slaughter have circulated online and criticism has been raised about his comments about fraud allegations leading to the end of the program.^[41]

In 2020, the Office of Congressional Ethics released a report alleging Bishop misused over $90,000 of campaign funds to cover personal expenses^[42] like fuel, golf expenses, meals, travel, tuition and entertainment. A full House Ethics Committee investigation was subsequently launched.^[43]

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:^[44]

• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit
• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Black Caucus
• Blue Dog Coalition^[45]
• Congressional Diabetes Caucus
• International Conservation Caucus
• Sportsmen's Caucus
• Congressional Cement Caucus
• United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus^[46]
• U.S.-Japan Caucus^[47]

Electoral history

Georgia's 2nd congressional district general , 1992^[48]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop	95,789	63.70
	Republican	Jim Dudley	54,593	36.30
Total votes			150,382	100.0

Georgia's 2nd congressional district general election, 1994^[49]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop (incumbent)	65,383	66.17
	Republican	John Clayton	33,429	33.83
Total votes			98,812	100.0

Georgia's 2nd congressional district Democratic primary, 1996^[50]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop (incumbent)	56,660	59.40
	Democratic	W.T. Gamble III	31,615	33.14
	Democratic	Walter H. Lewis	7,116	7.46
Total votes			95,391	100.0

Georgia's 2nd congressional district general election, 1996^[51]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop (incumbent)	88,256	53.97
	Republican	Darrel Ealum	75,282	46.03
Total votes			163,538	100.0

Georgia's 2nd congressional district general election, 1998^[52]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop (incumbent)	77,953	56.8
	Republican	Joseph F. McCormick	59,305	43.2
Total votes			137,258	100.0

Georgia's 2nd congressional district general election, 2000^[53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop (incumbent)	96,430	53.5
	Republican	Dylan Glenn	83,870	46.5
Total votes			180,300	100.0

Georgia's 2nd congressional district general election, 2004^[54]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop (incumbent)	129,984	66.79
	Republican	Dave Eversman	64,645	33.21
Total votes			194,629	100.0

Georgia's 2nd Congressional District Election (2006)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop*	88,662	67.87
	Republican	Bradley Hughes	41,967	32.13
Total votes			130,629	100.00
Turnout
	Democratic hold

Georgia's 2nd Congressional District Election (2008)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop*	158,447	68.95
	Republican	Lee Ferrell	71,357	31.05
Total votes			229,804	100.00
Turnout
	Democratic hold

Georgia's 2nd Congressional District Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop*	86,520	51.44
	Republican	Mike Keown	81,673	48.56
Total votes			168,193	100.00
Turnout
	Democratic hold

Georgia 2nd Congressional District Election (2012)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop*	162,751	63.78
	Republican	John House	92,410	36.78
Total votes			255,161	100
	Democratic hold

Georgia's 2nd Congressional District Election (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop*	96,363	59.15
	Republican	Greg Duke	66,357	40.85
Total votes			162,720	100.00
	Democratic hold

Georgia's 2nd Congressional District Election (2016)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop*	148,543	61.23
	Republican	Greg Duke	94,056	38.77
Total votes			242,599	100.00
	Democratic hold

Georgia's 2nd Congressional District Election (2018)^[56]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop*	135,709	59.56
	Republican	Herman West Jr.	92,132	40.44
Total votes			227,841	100.00
	Democratic hold

Georgia's 2nd Congressional District Election (2020)^[57]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop*	161,397	59.12
	Republican	Don Cole	111,620	40.88
Total votes			273,017	100.00
	Democratic hold

Georgia's 2nd Congressional District Election (2022)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sanford Bishop*	132,675	54.97
	Republican	Chris West	108,665	45.03
Total votes			241,340	100.00
	Democratic hold

Honors

• 2015 - Bishop was appointed as a Member of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.^[58]

See also

• List of African-American United States representatives

References

1. "1. Sanford Dixon Bishop Jr.: b. 4 Feb 1947 Mobile, Mobile Co., AL; U.S. Representative from GA (D)". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
2. BISHOP, Sanford Dixon, Jr. (1947-) - website of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
3. Explorations in Black Leadership: Sanford Bishop - website of the University of Virginia
4. (PDF). Navy League. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 26, 2007. Retrieved October 8, 2007.
5. Townley, Alvin (2007). . New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 165–72. ISBN 978-0-312-36653-7. Archived from the original on December 19, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
6. (PDF). Scouting.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 12, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
7. . May 30, 2007. Archived from the original on May 30, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
8. . November 28, 2005. Archived from the original on November 28, 2005. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
9. "GA District 2 - D Runoff Race - Aug 11, 1992". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
10. "GA District 2 Race - Nov 03, 1992". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
11. "GA District 2 - D Primary Race - Jul 19, 1994". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
12. "GA District 2 Race - Nov 08, 1994". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
13. "GA District 2 Race - Nov 05, 1996". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
14. "GA District 2 Race - Nov 03, 1998". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
15. "Campaign Finance: Joseph F McCormick". Influenceexplorer.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
16. "Cycle Fundraising, 1997 - 1998, Campaign Cmte". OpenSecrets.org. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
17. "GA District 2 Race - Nov 07, 2000". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
18. "GA District 2 Race - Nov 05, 2002". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
19. "GA District 2 Race - Nov 02, 2004". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
20. "GA District 2 Race - Nov 07, 2006". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
21. "GA District 2 Race - Nov 04, 2008". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
22. "GA District 2 Race - Nov 02, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
23. Robbie Brown (November 4, 2010). "Rare Winner for Southern Democrats". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
24. "House members most helped by redistricting". TheHill. September 5, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
25. "US Representative, District 2 Results". GA - Election Results. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
26. "Membership". Congressional Black Caucus. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
27. . Blue Dog Coalition. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
28. The Lugar Center - McCourt School Bipartisan Index (PDF), The Lugar Center, March 7, 2016, retrieved April 30, 2017
29. Kevin Sack (December 30, 1998). "In the Rural White South, Seeds of a Biracial Politics". The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
30. Sanford Bishop (July 22, 1997). . House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
31. "Final vote results for roll call 455". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. October 10, 2002.
32. . THOMAS. October 16, 2002. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
33. Eversley, Melanie (October 10, 2002). "Georgians in House divided on Iraq". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. A1. Democrat Sanford Bishop unabashedly announced his support of the current Republican president.
34. Dewan, Shaila (January 18, 2008). "Southern Blacks Are Split on Clinton vs. Obama". The New York Times. p. A1.
35. Scher, Bill (September 9, 2010). "Bishop steered scholarships to family". Politico.com. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
36. "Representative Sanford D Bishop Jr Awarded Scholarships to Family", by the Associated Press, New York Times 11 September 2010
37. "Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA) Earned Dishonorable Mention in CREW's Annual Most Corrupt Report". Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Associated Press. September 19, 2011. Archived from the original on August 3, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
38. "EDITORIAL: USDA's Pigford fraud Obama initiative ignores corruption to redistribute wealth". The Washington Times. February 2, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
39. Lewis, Terry (January 19, 2011). "Rep. Bishop blasts video". Albany Herald. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
40. Stranahan, Lee (January 24, 2011). "Blue Dog Congressman Sanford Bishop Knew About Pigford Fraud". The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
41. Keefe, Bob (January 20, 2011). "Rep. Bishop takes heat over Breitbart videos about black farmers settlement". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
42. Bresnahan, John (July 31, 2020). "Rep. Sanford Bishop allegedly misused more than $90,000 in campaign and official funds". POLITICO. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
43. Caroline Kelly (August 2020). "Ethics panel extends probe of Georgia congressman over use of campaign funds". CNN. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
44. "Sanford D. Bishop, Jr". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
45. . Blue Dog Coalition. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
46. . U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
47. "Members". U.S. - Japan Caucus. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
48. "1992 General Election Results U.S. Congress - 2nd District". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
49. "1994 General Election Results U.S. Congress - 2nd District". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
50. "Georgia Election Results Official Results of the July 9, 1996 Primary Election". Georgia Secretary of State. July 19, 1996. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
51. "Georgia Election Results Official results of the November 5, 1996 General Election". Georgia Secretary of State. November 18, 1996. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
52. "Georgia Election Results Official results of the November 3, 1998 General Election" (PDF). Georgia Secretary of State. November 20, 1998. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
53. "Georgia Election Results Official results of the November 7, 2000 General Election" (PDF). Georgia Secretary of State. November 17, 2000. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
54. "Georgia Election Results Official results of the November 2, 2004 General Election" (PDF). Georgia Secretary of State. December 21, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
55. "GA - Election Results".
56. "Election Night Reporting".
57. Raffensperger, Brad. "November 3, 2020 General Election Official Results - Totals include all Absentee and Provisional Ballots". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
58. "No. 61305". The London Gazette. July 24, 2015. pp. 13771–13773.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sanford Bishop.

• Congressman Sanford Bishop Jr. official U.S. House website
• Sanford Bishop for Congress
• Sanford Bishop at Curlie

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Appearances on C-SPAN

Georgia House of Representatives
Preceded by C. Ed Berry	Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 94th district 1977–1991	Succeeded by Bill Lee
Georgia State Senate
Preceded by Gary Parker	Member of the Georgia State Senate from the 15th district 1991–1993	Succeeded by Ed Harbison
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Charles Hatcher	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 2nd congressional district 1993–present	Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Jerry Nadler	United States representatives by seniority 11th	Succeeded by Ken Calvert