Andrew Ferguson lives in Athens along the border of Clarke County and Oconee County. He grew up in Duluth and graduated from Duluth High School, where he earned the HOPE scholarship to attend UGA. He is a proud graduate of both the Terry College of Business and the School of Public and International Affairs, where he obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a Specialization in Local Government.
As the son of a public educator and a public servant, Andrew knows the value of education because he’s lived it. He knows the power of public service because he’s seen it in action. With a parent who was a business owner and a bipolar manic depressive, he knows the dire need for a healthcare system that treats the body and the mind because he’s experienced it first-hand.
As a first-generation Democrat who comes from a family of compassionate Republicans, Andrew knows we have far more in common with each other than cable news and social media would have you believe.
In addition to previously running for our Congressional seat during the Pandemic, Andrew works as a full-time editor for the largest investigations company in the country, and serves as the Vice-Chair of Candidate Recruitment & Development for the Athens-Clarke County Democrats.
Why I’m Running — A Letter From Andrew
I’m running for State Senate District 46 because corporate interests don’t need another vote at the Capitol, but working families do. Legacy wealth in this state has been built on the backs of the working class for generations upon generations. Our state government currently sits on a reserve of over $3 billion. With that much wealth in our state, everyone should be thriving. Instead, everyday Georgians are being priced out of everything from healthcare and housing, to child care and college. It’s just not right, and it doesn’t have to be this way.
The truth is, hard work in this state is exploited, not rewarded.
I know this because two years ago, I ran for our Congressional seat. Before the pandemic hit, I traveled all over Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Oconee, Walton, and the other 20 counties that made up GA 10. What I saw time and again was that the people who worked the hardest and beared the most, never could get ahead. No matter how many hours they worked, no matter how many jobs they held, no matter how hard they tried to build a better life for themselves and their families, only one thing happened – the rich got richer – and they fell further behind.
The truth is, the leadership in this state is failing us, our families, and our communities.
And they know it. That’s why to get elected these folks have to rig the maps, suppress the votes, draw incumbents and candidates out of their districts so they can’t run, threaten Boards of Elections to count votes “their way”, and target any and all groups who educate the public merely on HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR DEMOCRACY will fines and jail time.
The truth is, we desperately need new leadership in Georgia.
We need leadership that puts working families first, not giant corporations who pollute our land and exploit our labor. We need leadership that knows any legislation based on racism, hate, or misogyny has no place in this state. We need leadership that recognizes Medicaid expansion saves lives, while closing rural hospitals costs them.
The truth is, together we have the power to elect folks who’ll serve our interests, not their own.