Cathy Cox
Encyclopedia
Lera Catharine "Cathy" Cox (born 1958) is a Georgia
politician, a member of the Democratic Party
, the former Secretary of State of Georgia
, and a candidate for Governor of Georgia in 2006
. In March 2007, she was chosen as the 21st president of Young Harris College
.
Cox is not related to a Republican politician with a similar name, former Georgia Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox
.
, Georgia. After attending public schools, she earned her associate's degree
in agriculture from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
. She later obtained her journalism degree from the University of Georgia
. In 1986 she graduated magna cum laude from Mercer University
's Walter F. George School of Law
, where she was editor-in-chief of the Mercer Law Review
and the Brainerd Currie
Honor Society. After graduation, she was a journalist for The Gainesville Times and The Post-Searchlight. She practiced law for ten years.
She is married to attorney Mark Dehler. They have no children and are active members of the United Methodist Church
. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of Mercer University as well as on the Board of Visitors of the School of Law.
from 1993 to 1996. She represented Miller
, Seminole
, Early
and Decatur
counties. She relinquished her seat in early 1996 to become Assistant Secretary of State and temporarily retired from elective office.
Cox took office in January 1999 and was the first woman to serve as Georgia's Secretary of State. Her first action in office was to move the largest division of her office from Atlanta to Macon
, saying she "wanted to bring government closer to the people it serves." She also instituted a universal electronic voting system, making Georgia the first American state to use such a system. According to an MIT
study and others, the system has led to increased voting accuracy in Georgia, although concerns over the security of the system have been expressed by some. Cox also created the Georgia Invests initiative to combat fraudulent telephone investment schemes.
In 2004, Cox rejected all 63 voter registration applications on the basis that they did not follow correct procedures. The procedures not followed included obtaining specific pre-clearance from the state to conduct their drive. A suit was filed, Charles H. Wesley Education Foundation v. Cathy Cox, on the basis that the rejection of the registrations violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993
(NVRA) by undermining voter registration drives. A Senior U.S. District Judge
upheld earlier federal court decisions in the case, finding against Cox, and deciding that private entities have a right under the NVRA to engage in organized voter registration activity in Georgia at times and locations of their choosing, without the presence or permission of state or local election officials.
and Democrats
alike to improve education, provide access to high quality health care, and promote economic development in every region of Georgia
." Cox was opposed by fellow Democrat Mark Taylor
, then lieutenant governor of Georgia
, and Republican Sonny Perdue
, the incumbent governor of Georgia. If elected, she would have become the first female governor of Georgia.
Cathy Cox lost the Democratic primary and conceded defeat to Mark Taylor during a press conference at 12:00 am on July 19, 2006.
, Cox's opponent in the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial primary, had been edited by someone using an IP address associated with the Cox gubernatorial campaign.http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Contributions&target=69.15.227.237 According to the Associated Press
, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales
told reporters that the insertion of a paragraph based on opposition research
relating to the arrest of Taylor's son on driving under the influence
charges had been traced back to Cox's campaign, but said he had no way of knowing who made the change. After the story broke, Cox denied any knowledge of her campaign manager's alleged actions and said she had instructed her staff not to make the incident an issue. Cox's campaign manager, Morton Brilliant, resigned shortly after the incident was made public.
Bill Shipp reported in the Gwinnett Daily Post that Taylor's aides had known for months about the edits, which they easily traced to Cox's campaign. Taylor held back on publicizing the news until he could use it to upstage a speech by Cox that her staff called a "major policy address". The resulting media coverage gave much wider publicity to the problems of Taylor's son than the changes Brilliant made to Wikipedia.
. As the Carl Sanders Scholar, she taught two courses, Election Law and Law and Politics, to second and third year law students.
The Carl E. Sanders Chair was established in 2002 by a $1 million gift to the UGA Law School by former Georgia governor and current Chairman Emeritus of Atlanta-based law firm Troutman Sanders
LLP. The gift resulted from Sanders' longstanding commitment to see the law school at the University of Georgia "be one of such excellence that no citizen of Georgia need ever leave the state because a superior legal education is afforded elsewhere.".
On May 12, 2007, Cox gave the commencement address to the graduating class of Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law, her law school alma mater. During the ceremony, she was awarded the honorary degree, Doctor of Laws.
She is now the 21st President of Young Harris College
in Young Harris, GA.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
politician, a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, the former Secretary of State of Georgia
Secretary of state of Georgia
The secretary of state of the U.S. state of Georgia is an elected official with a wide variety of responsibilities, including supervising elections and maintaining public records....
, and a candidate for Governor of Georgia in 2006
Georgia gubernatorial election, 2006
The 2006 Georgia Gubernatorial Election was held on November 7, 2006. The primary election was held on July 18. Governor Sonny Perdue was re-elected to his second term; he is the first Republican Governor of Georgia since the end of Reconstruction. Currently Republicans control both houses of the...
. In March 2007, she was chosen as the 21st president of Young Harris College
Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private, Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college located in the mountains of northeast Georgia. The current president is Cathy Cox, former Georgia Secretary of State.-Origins:...
.
Cox is not related to a Republican politician with a similar name, former Georgia Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox
Kathy Cox
Kathy Cox is a former superintendent of public schools for the U.S. state of Georgia, and is a Republican. A high school teacher by occupation, Cox also served two terms, from 1998 to 2002, in the Georgia General Assembly, representing Peachtree City, Georgia, prior to her election as...
.
Biography
Cox was born and raised in BainbridgeBainbridge, Georgia
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,722 people, 4,444 households, and 3,013 families residing in the city. The population density was 255.6/km² . There were 5,051 housing units at an average density of 285.2 per square mile...
, Georgia. After attending public schools, she earned her associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
in agriculture from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is a State College of the University System of Georgia. Located in Tifton, Georgia, ABAC offers baccalaureate and associate degrees...
. She later obtained her journalism degree from the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. In 1986 she graduated magna cum laude from Mercer University
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
's Walter F. George School of Law
Walter F. George School of Law
The Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer University, founded in 1873, is one of the oldest law schools in the United States and is the second oldest of Mercer's eleven colleges and schools. The School of Law, with approximately 420 students, is located in Macon, Georgia on its own campus one...
, where she was editor-in-chief of the Mercer Law Review
Law review
A law review is a scholarly journal focusing on legal issues, normally published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association...
and the Brainerd Currie
Brainerd Currie
Brainerd Currie was a law professor noted for his work in conflict of laws and his creation of the concept of the governmental interests analysis. He was the father of law professor David P. Currie....
Honor Society. After graduation, she was a journalist for The Gainesville Times and The Post-Searchlight. She practiced law for ten years.
She is married to attorney Mark Dehler. They have no children and are active members of the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of Mercer University as well as on the Board of Visitors of the School of Law.
State House
Cox served as a member of the Georgia House of RepresentativesGeorgia House of Representatives
The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly of the U.S. state of Georgia.-Composition:...
from 1993 to 1996. She represented Miller
Miller County, Georgia
Miller County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 26, 1856. As of 2000, the population was 6,383. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 6,163. The county seat is Colquitt.-Geography:...
, Seminole
Seminole County, Georgia
Seminole County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 9,369. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 9,081. The county seat is Donalsonville.-History:...
, Early
Early County, Georgia
Early County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 15, 1818 and was named for Peter Early. As of 2010, the population is 11,008. The county seat is Blakely.-Geography:...
and Decatur
Decatur County, Georgia
Decatur County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 28,240. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 28,544. The county seat is Bainbridge.-History:...
counties. She relinquished her seat in early 1996 to become Assistant Secretary of State and temporarily retired from elective office.
Secretary of State
Cox ran for Secretary of State in 1998 and defeated Republican candidate John A. McCallum with 56.6 % of the vote. She was re-elected in 2002 with 61.1% of the vote (more than any other Georgia Democrat that year) against Republican candidate Charlie Bailey.Cox took office in January 1999 and was the first woman to serve as Georgia's Secretary of State. Her first action in office was to move the largest division of her office from Atlanta to Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, saying she "wanted to bring government closer to the people it serves." She also instituted a universal electronic voting system, making Georgia the first American state to use such a system. According to an MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
study and others, the system has led to increased voting accuracy in Georgia, although concerns over the security of the system have been expressed by some. Cox also created the Georgia Invests initiative to combat fraudulent telephone investment schemes.
In 2004, Cox rejected all 63 voter registration applications on the basis that they did not follow correct procedures. The procedures not followed included obtaining specific pre-clearance from the state to conduct their drive. A suit was filed, Charles H. Wesley Education Foundation v. Cathy Cox, on the basis that the rejection of the registrations violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993
National Voter Registration Act of 1993
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 , also known as The Motor Voter Act, was signed into effect by United States President Bill Clinton on May 20, 1993, however, compliance did not become mandatory until 1995...
(NVRA) by undermining voter registration drives. A Senior U.S. District Judge
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
upheld earlier federal court decisions in the case, finding against Cox, and deciding that private entities have a right under the NVRA to engage in organized voter registration activity in Georgia at times and locations of their choosing, without the presence or permission of state or local election officials.
Gubernatorial candidacy
On December 27, 2004, in her hometown of Bainbridge, Cox announced her candidacy for governor of Georgia. In her announcement, she stated that she is "ready and willing to work with RepublicansRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
alike to improve education, provide access to high quality health care, and promote economic development in every region of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
." Cox was opposed by fellow Democrat Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor (politician)
Mark Fletcher Taylor is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He served two terms between 1999 to 2007 as the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Georgia...
, then lieutenant governor of Georgia
Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
The Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is a constitutional officer of the state, elected to a 4-year term by popular vote. Unlike some states, the lieutenant governor is elected on a separate ticket from the state Governor....
, and Republican Sonny Perdue
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
, the incumbent governor of Georgia. If elected, she would have become the first female governor of Georgia.
Cathy Cox lost the Democratic primary and conceded defeat to Mark Taylor during a press conference at 12:00 am on July 19, 2006.
Wikipedia controversy
On April 26, 2006, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the Wikipedia biography of Mark TaylorMark Taylor (politician)
Mark Fletcher Taylor is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He served two terms between 1999 to 2007 as the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Georgia...
, Cox's opponent in the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial primary, had been edited by someone using an IP address associated with the Cox gubernatorial campaign.http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Contributions&target=69.15.227.237 According to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales
Jimmy Wales
Jimmy Donal "Jimbo" Wales is an American Internet entrepreneur best known as a co-founder and promoter of the online non-profit encyclopedia Wikipedia and the Wikia company....
told reporters that the insertion of a paragraph based on opposition research
Opposition research
Opposition research is:# The term used to classify and describe efforts of supporters or paid consultants of a political candidate to legally investigate the biographical, legal or criminal, medical, educational, financial, public and private administrative and or voting records of the opposing...
relating to the arrest of Taylor's son on driving under the influence
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
charges had been traced back to Cox's campaign, but said he had no way of knowing who made the change. After the story broke, Cox denied any knowledge of her campaign manager's alleged actions and said she had instructed her staff not to make the incident an issue. Cox's campaign manager, Morton Brilliant, resigned shortly after the incident was made public.
Bill Shipp reported in the Gwinnett Daily Post that Taylor's aides had known for months about the edits, which they easily traced to Cox's campaign. Taylor held back on publicizing the news until he could use it to upstage a speech by Cox that her staff called a "major policy address". The resulting media coverage gave much wider publicity to the problems of Taylor's son than the changes Brilliant made to Wikipedia.
Post-Gubernatorial Bid
After her unsuccessful gubernatorial run, Cox served a one-semester appointment as the Carl E. Sanders Political Leadership Scholar at the University of Georgia School of LawUniversity of Georgia School of Law
The University of Georgia School of Law is a graduate school of the University of Georgia. Founded in 1859 and located in Athens, Georgia, USA, Georgia Law was formerly known as the Lumpkin School of Law. The Law School is the second oldest of the University's schools and colleges. The University...
. As the Carl Sanders Scholar, she taught two courses, Election Law and Law and Politics, to second and third year law students.
The Carl E. Sanders Chair was established in 2002 by a $1 million gift to the UGA Law School by former Georgia governor and current Chairman Emeritus of Atlanta-based law firm Troutman Sanders
Troutman Sanders
Troutman Sanders LLP, founded in 1897, is an international law firm with more than 600 attorneys located in North America and Asia.On January 2, 2009, the firm merged with D.C.-based Ross Dixon & Bell, keeping and operating under the name Troutman Sanders...
LLP. The gift resulted from Sanders' longstanding commitment to see the law school at the University of Georgia "be one of such excellence that no citizen of Georgia need ever leave the state because a superior legal education is afforded elsewhere.".
On May 12, 2007, Cox gave the commencement address to the graduating class of Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law, her law school alma mater. During the ceremony, she was awarded the honorary degree, Doctor of Laws.
She is now the 21st President of Young Harris College
Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private, Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college located in the mountains of northeast Georgia. The current president is Cathy Cox, former Georgia Secretary of State.-Origins:...
in Young Harris, GA.