Interview with Jim Martin, January 21, 2009

James Francis “Jim” Martin drafted legislation as part of the legislative council before joining Legal Aid, an organization representing low income families. In 1983, he ran for office, and was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives as a progressive Democrat. He served as a chairman of numerous committees, including Human Services Subcommittee for Appropriations, MARTOC, Ethics, and Judiciary. In 2001, he left the legislature and was appointed commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources by Governor Roy Barnes. From 2004 to 2005, he served as chief legal officer of the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council. In 2006, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor. He then helped develop the Master’s Program in Public Policy at the Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. In 2008, he ran for U.S. Senate against incumbent Saxby Chambliss, and was defeated in a runoff. Martin discusses his political campaigns, his committee work, and his passion for working with the underrepresented.

2009-01-21

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