Don Balfour (politician)
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Donald Kenneth Balfour II is a Republican politician. He was a member of the Georgia State Senate, representing the 9th District.
Don Balfour | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Georgia State Senate from the 9th district | |
| In office 1993–2015 | |
| Succeeded by | P.K. Martin IV |
| President of the National Conference of State Legislatures | |
| In office 2009–2010 | |
| Preceded by | Joe Hackney |
| Succeeded by | Richard T. Moore |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Ginny |
| Alma mater | B.S. Bob Jones University; M.A. Fairleigh Dickinson University |
Legislative career
Balfour, a resident of Snellville and an executive with Waffle House, Inc.,[1] was elected to the State Senate in 1992. He was re-elected multiple times without opposition. In 2002, after Republicans took control of the Georgia Senate for the first time, he was elected chairman of the Republican caucus[2] and in 2003 he became chairman of the senate's Rules Committee,[3] a position he held until January 2013.[4] He served as President of the National Conference of State Legislatures from 2009 to 2010.[5][6] He announced a campaign for the United States House of Representatives in Georgia's 7th congressional district in March 2010 (see United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia § District 7),[7] but ended his campaign later that month.[8] Balfour was defeated in a primary challenge in 2014.[9] When he left office, he was the longest-serving Republican in the Georgia Senate.[10]
Indictment and acquittal
Balfour was indicted by a Fulton County grand jury for eighteen counts of falsifying expense reports and theft by taking.[11] In November 2013, pending his trial, he was suspended from his office by Governor Nathan Deal, and from his party positions by the Senate Republican Caucus.[12] In December, Balfour was acquitted of all charges and his suspension was reversed.[13][14]