Dee Dawkins-Haigler

Dawkins-Haigler attended South Carolina State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science. She earned a Master of Public Administration from Kentucky State University, a Master of Divinity in theology and ethics from Interdenominational Theological Center's Turner Theological Seminary, and is a doctoral candidate in political science at Clark Atlanta University.^[1]

Dawkins-Haigler is a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is the associate pastor at First St. Paul AME Church in Lithonia, Georgia.^[1]

In 2008, Dawkins-Haigler ran in a special election for the 93rd district of the Georgia House of Representatives, to succeed Walter Ronnie Sailor Jr., who resigned the seat. Dawkins-Haigler finished in first place in the primary election on May 13, advancing to a runoff election against Malik Douglas. She won the runoff election on June 10. She faced a primary election for the 2016 general elections on July 15.^[2] She entered into a rematch against Douglas, and defeated him in the runoff election on August 5.^[3]

Dawkins-Haigler was elected chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus in January 2013.^[4] She also served as the chaplain for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.^[5] In the Georgia House, Dawkins-Haigler worked to ensure that sickle-cell anemia was covered under Georgia's medical cannabis program.^[6][7] Dawkins-Haigler ran for reelection in 2010, 2012, and 2014.^[1][8]

Dawkins-Haigler did not seek re-election to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2016. Instead, she was a candidate to represent the 43rd district of the Georgia State Senate, which was represented by Republican JaNice Van Ness. She advanced to a runoff election against Tonya Anderson. In the runoff, Anderson led Dawkins-Haigler in the official vote count by 0.12 percent (4,276 votes to 4,266 votes), leading to Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp to order a recount.^[9] The recount confirmed Anderson's victory over Dawkins-Haigler by 10 votes.^[10]

In the 2018 election, Dawkins-Haigler ran for Georgia Secretary of State; she faced John Barrow and RJ Hadley in the primary election. Barrow received the majority of the vote in the primary election, winning the Democratic nomination without a runoff; Dawkins-Haigler finished second.^[11] She was again a candidate for secretary of state in the 2022 election.^[12] In the primary election, she received 19 percent of the vote, second to Bee Nguyen, who received 44 percent.^[13] Nguyen defeated Dawkins-Haigler in the June 21 runoff election to become the Democratic nominee.^[14]

Dawkins-Haigler and her husband, David Haigler, met while attending South Carolina State University.^[15] They have four children.^[16] Her mother, Peggy Butler, involved Dawkins-Haigler in community work, including with the NAACP, from a young age. Butler served as a city councilor and as mayor pro tem for West Columbia, South Carolina.^[17] Butler is a candidate for secretary of state of South Carolina in 2022.^[18][19]

Dawkins-Haigler was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She had surgery twice and underwent radiation therapy.^[6]

Dawkins-Haigler received the President's Call to Service Award in 2017, in the final days of President Barack Obama's administration. It recognised her work including over 4,000 hours of volunteering.^[20]