House District 54
GEOGRAPHIC AREA
- County: Fulton County
- Metro Area/Region: Atlanta Area
- Cities/Towns/Areas: Atlanta
DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
- Population: 53,673
- Median Household Income: $81,700
- Education:
- Completed High School 21%
- Completed College/Beyond 75.9%
- Race:
- White 71.9%
- Black 10.8%
- Hispanic 9.8%
- Asian 5.8%
POLITICAL AREA
- Congressional District(s): GA-5, GA-11
- GA Senate District: SD 6, SD 38, SD 39
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
| 2016 | Clinton 54.55% | Trump 40.79% | Margin=D+13.8% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Obama 40.58% | Romney, 58.07% | Margin=R+17.5% |
DISTRICT ELECTION RESULTS
| Year | Candidate | Percentage | Vote Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Beth Beskin (R) |
60.57% | 17,620 |
| Robert W. Gibeling (D) |
39.43% | 11,472 | |
| 2014 | Beth Beskin (R) |
59.01% | 10,333 |
| Robert Gibeling (D) |
29.91% | 5,237 | |
| 2012 | Edward Lindsey (R) |
63.26% | 15,254 |
| Lynn B. McKinney (D) |
36.74% | 8,860 |
CANDIDATES
- Incumbent: Beth Beskin (R)
- Campaign Website: bethbeskin.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/State-Rep-Beth-Beskin-881442801900707/
- Twitter: twitter.com/BethBeskin
- Democratic Candidate: Dan Bershinski
- Campaign Website: danforgeorgia.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/dan.berschinski
- Twitter: twitter.com/DanforGeorgia
- Democratic Candidate: Bob Gibeling
- Campaign Website: bobgibeling.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/Bob-Gibeling-for-State-House-District-54-314040705413313/
- Twitter: twitter.com/@BobGibelingGA
- Democratic Candidate: Betsy Holland
- Campaign Website: betsyforgeorgia.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/BetsyforGeorgia
- Twitter: N/A
FOLLOW THE MONEY
Rep. Beth Beskin has received $428,775 in contributions for three races; she has won two of them. During the 2016 elections, she raised $157,283 while her Democratic opponent raised $29,255.
NOTES AND SUMMARY
This district in the heart of Buckhead is generally highly educated and wealthy. It usually votes Republican (Romney over Obama by 17.5 points), but Clinton carried the district by 13.8 points.
Beth Beskin (R) is a Tulane and LSU educated lawyer specializing in family law and estate planning. She first ran in 2014 and won the general election against two2 opponents — 1 Democrat and 1 Independent — with 59 percent of the vote. In 2016, she was opposed by the same Democrat (Bob Gibeling) and won with 61 percent of the vote. In that election, she outspent her Democratic opponent 5 to 1. She focuses mainly on business/tax issues. She's considered a moderate Republican.
Dan Berschinski (D) graduated from West Point and became an Army officer. He was wounded in combat in Afghanistan, losing both of his legs. He has since become the military's first above-the-knee and hip-disarticulation amputee to walk on a daily basis. After medically retiring from the Army, Berschinski earned an MBA at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business before moving back to Georgia. He now runs a small business with his wife.
Bob Gibeling (D) is a retired businessperson who worked in the marketing field and for nonprofits for a combined 40 years. A former Republican, Gibeling has volunteered for both Republican and Democratic political campaigns for over 50 years, and for more than 20 years Gibeling has advocated for issues in the Georgia Legislature and U.S. Congress. He’s been endorsed by The Georgia Federation of Teachers, Planned Parenthood, Georgia Equality, Victory Fund, Georgia State AFL-CIO, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 613, Teamsters, Local 728, and the Georgia Stonewall Democrats. Gibeling is openly gay and has run against Beskin for the last two elections.
Betsy Holland (D) is a Smith College graduate who has worked at Turner Broadcasting for 20 years and has held numerous leadership positions. In addition, she served as lead of Turner's philanthropic and community involvement initiatives. She is on the Board of Governors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. She wants to address the crisis in rural health care and supports public transportation rather than new roads. She decided to enter the political arena after the 2016 election.
All statements, answers, and information found within the 159 Georgia Together voter guide were collected via an electronic survey. Due to the sheer volume of information collected and the number of candidates that submitted survey data, all of the information presented in the guide is verbatim per the input from the survey participants (including any spelling or grammatical errors).
Beth Beskin (R-Incumbent)
Top 3 Priorities If Elected
No response yet
Do you support legislation that would prevent business owners and employers from denying services to LGBTQ people and others based on their religious beliefs?
No response yet.
Do you support ending cash bail for low-level offenses?
No response yet.
Do you support the creation of a non-partisan independent redistricting commission?
No response yet.
Would you support an English-only Constitutional Amendment if it were on the ballot?
No response yet.
Do you support the right of workers to form a union and bargain collectively?
No response yet.
Did you/do you support guns on campus?
No response yet.
Do you support electricity rate increases to complete two nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle?
No response yet.
Do you support changing Georgia's voting system to a voter-marked (pen or pencil) paper ballot with optical scanners?
No response yet.
Do you support the expansion of early voting?
No response yet.
Do you support public vouchers being used for private and/or charter schools?
No response yet.
Do you support Medicaid expansion or another Georgia-specific plan to extend health insurance to low-income Georgians?
No response yet.
Will you support policies and legislation that increase access to reproductive health care, including abortion, and oppose policies and legislation that limit or reduce access to reproductive health care, including abortion?
No response yet.
Would you support efforts to strengthen Social Security for current and future retirees and put the program on a more stable fiscal path?
No response yet.
Do you support a livable wage of a minimum of $15 per hour?
No response yet.
Betsy Holland (D)
Top 3 Priorities If Elected
Improving accessibility to healthcare — Georgia has the 3rd highest uninsured rate in the nation, leaving many of our neighbors without coverage. This leads to a domino effect that's closing rural hospitals and leaving many without access to care. Add to that the growing need for eldercare and the shrinking number of people going into the medical field, and you have a huge challenge facing our state in a few years. Reducing gun violence through common sense firearm regulation - it's time for the state legislature to pass responsible legislation that reduces the incidents of gun violence in our state. Addressing infrastructure and transit — I support funding for modern infrastructure improvements, improved transit options and innovative approaches to our current traffic inflation.
Do you support legislation that would prevent business owners and employers from denying services to LGBTQ people and others based on their religious beliefs?
Yes. The U.S. Constitution protects our right to practice our religion but does not give us liberty to inflict harm on others because of our religious beliefs. No Georgian should be discriminated against for any reason, be it gender, age, ethnic background, religion, sexual identification, race or physical ability. Aside from the moral implications, laws and policies that allow discrimination have an economic impact on our state. When Georgia has a reputation for discriminating, businesses are less likely to locate here, top talent is less likely to transfer here and economic growth slows as a result.
Do you support ending cash bail for low-level offenses?
Yes. Income level should never play a role in the way justice is dispensed. By ending cash bail for low-level offenses, we can eliminate a racist, classist element of our judicial system that not only disproportionately impacted poor people but also often created a cycle that makes it harder for someone accused of a crime once to maintain their work, education or family obligations.
Do you support the creation of a non-partisan independent redistricting commission?
Yes. Our community is best served by a balanced legislature that represents our diverse state. Currently, more than half of the seats in the General Assembly are effectively chosen during primaries (not elections) because districts are drawn to so heavily favor one party. Better cooperation and collaboration will lead to better governing, and that's best achieved when those with a political interest are removed from the redistricting process.
Would you support an English-only Constitutional Amendment if it were on the ballot?
No. Our nation is funded on the principle of welcoming people of all cultures and backgrounds. There is no need for a national language.
Do you support the right of workers to form a union and bargain collectively?
Yes. I believe in protecting the rights of workers, including the right to assemble to collectively negotiate with employers.
Did you/do you support guns on campus?
No.
Do you support electricity rate increases to complete two nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle?
No. My feelings on Plant Vogtle are mixed. I support the exploration of alternate energy resources, and I appreciate that the plant has created jobs in the region. However, I have serious concerns about this particular project's ballooning costs, numerous delays and possible safety concern. I would need to know much more about Southern Company's contingency plans and overall impact before I could truly make decisions on this issue.
Do you support changing Georgia's voting system to a voter-marked (pen or pencil) paper ballot with optical scanners?
Yes. Given recent revelations about election tampering, implementing a paper ballot process is non-negotiable.
Do you support the expansion of early voting?
Yes. Early voting has been proven to increase voter participation, which should always be the goal in a democracy.
Do you support public vouchers being used for private and/or charter schools?
No.
Do you support Medicaid expansion or another Georgia-specific plan to extend health insurance to low-income Georgians?
Yes.
Will you support policies and legislation that increase access to reproductive health care, including abortion, and oppose policies and legislation that limit or reduce access to reproductive health care, including abortion?
Yes.
Would you support efforts to strengthen Social Security for current and future retirees and put the program on a more stable fiscal path?
Yes. Georgians have paid into Social Security their entire working lives. They are owed a return on the investment they've made, and it's our responsibility to safeguard that investment.
Do you support a livable wage of a minimum of $15 per hour?
Yes.