Charles Walker (Georgia politician)
American politician (1947–2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles Will Walker (November 8, 1947 – August 18, 2026) was an American politician who was a state senator in the legislature of Georgia. He was first elected in 1990. In 1996, he became Georgia's first African-American Senate Majority Leader. Walker was a Democrat and was from Augusta, Georgia.
Charles Walker | |
|---|---|
| Majority Leader of the Georgia State Senate | |
| In office January 13, 1997 – January 13, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Sonny Perdue |
| Succeeded by | Tom Price |
| Member of the Georgia State Senate from the 22nd district | |
| In office January 14, 1991 – January 13, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Allgood |
| Succeeded by | Randy Hall |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 85th district | |
| In office January 10, 1983 – January 14, 1991 | |
| Preceded by | R.A. Dent |
| Succeeded by | Henry Howard Sr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Charles Will Walker November 8, 1947 Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | August 18, 2026 (aged 78) Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
Life and career
Walker owned a myriad of small enterprises under the name The Walker Group. One of Walker's first ventures was a convenience store called "Reklaw's", which is Walker spelled backwards.
He started a newspaper called the Augusta Focus which served Augusta's black community. It often expressed opposing viewpoints to Augusta's only daily newspaper, the Augusta Chronicle.
Convicted in 2005 by a federal court in Augusta on charges including tax evasion, mail fraud, theft, misusing campaign funds, and conspiracy (127 counts, in all),[1][2][3] Walker was serving a ten-year sentence at a Federal Correctional Institution in Estill, South Carolina. His projected release date was September 26, 2022.[4][5]
An appeal of his convictions was rejected on July 6, 2007.[6][7][8]
Walker filed a petition for habeas corpus in March 2009. The federal judge who presided over his trial recused himself from presiding over Walker's petition in May 2009.[1]
Walker was released from custody in late 2016.[2] He died on August 18, 2026, at the age of 78.[9]