John Oxendine
Encyclopedia
John W. Oxendine is an American politician
who served four terms as Insurance Commissioner of the U.S. state
of Georgia
. Oxendine is of Lumbee
heritage, an Indian tribe from North Carolina. A member of the Republican
party, he was first elected commissioner in 1994 and was reelected in 1998, 2002, and 2006. Prior to entering politics, Oxendine owned and operated a small business and was a bar
-certified lawyer
practicing in Gwinnett County, Georgia
.
Oxendine began his career working on several gubernatorial campaigns and was later appointed by Governor Joe Frank Harris
to the State Personnel Board.
, where he was a Tucker Tiger and graduated from Tucker High School
in 1980. Oxendine attributes his keen interest in politics to his father who has been a Senior Superior Court Judge in Gwinnett County since Oxendine was in school.
He triple majored in Christianity
, Greek
, and political science
at Mercer University
, earning his Bachelor of Arts
with honors in 1984. During college he worked at the Georgia State Capitol
to pay for his tuition as a student assistant to Governor George Busbee
. Oxendine attended Walter F. George School of Law
at Mercer, where he continued being active in student organizations including the Lambda Chi Alpha
fraternity
, and graduated with his Juris Doctorate in 1987.
Upon graduation from law school, Oxendine took over the family law practice, Oxendine and Associates, located in Gwinnett County, from his father. Oxendine and Associates concentrated in helping small businesses navigate the bureaucracy required when doing business with the federal government. Oxendine owned and ran this firm until he took the office of Insurance Commissioner in January 1995.
Oxendine married Ivy Adams, who had also been a student at Mercer, and together they have four children, J.W. (17), Phillip (12), Caroline (10) and newborn baby Jake who was born on July 8, 2009. The family attends Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church, where he serves as an usher. He has resided in unincorporated Peachtree Corners
, in Gwinnett County since he graduated from college.
to Governor George Busbee
. Oxendine later worked on the campaign staff of Joe Frank Harris
, who was elected Governor and appointed Oxendine as chairman of the State Personnel Board.
Paul Coverdell
died suddenly in 2000, Oxendine was inundated with calls to run for United States Senator, but decided against running. Republican leaders later settled on former U.S. Senator Mack Mattingly
as their consensus Republican candidate; Mattingly was defeated by former Governor Zell Miller
.
In early 2003, Miller announced he would not seek reelection to the Senate, prompting Oxendine to again consider running for the seat. On January 8, 2003, Oxendine told the Atlanta Business Chronicle, "We've had countless people across the state asking us to run for the [U.S.] Senate, and I told people I was flattered by their faith in me and that I would consider it. I did consider it to the point of commissioning a poll and the results were every encouraging. It turned out I am one of the best-known and -liked politicians in the state." However, when long time friend Congressman Johnny Isakson
announced his candidacy a month later, Oxendine endorsed Isakson and restated his intention to serve out the remainder of his term as Insurance Commissioner.
and Christian political consultant Ralph Reed
joined the race for Lieutenant Governor, Oxendine later announced that he would run for reelection as Insurance Commissioner.
. Oxendine defeated Drexinger by the largest margin in the cycle among those candidates with challengers, taking 65.6 percent of the vote to Drexinger's 34.4 percent. Oxendine carried 153 of Georgia's 159 counties.
Since becoming the first Republican to control a state agency, Oxendine has consistently run the department under budget, keeping the office open eleven hours a day (8am-7pm), and returning money to the taxpayers every year he has been in office.
Oxendine has brought the power of the private sector to bear in addressing Georgia's challenges. He created a public-private partnership to develop a comprehensive telemedicine program in the United States which expanded the availability of healthcare to every Georgia citizen without spending taxpayer dollars.
For his work on behalf of Georgia consumers and health care providers, Oxendine was awarded the American Medical Association's highest honor, the only Insurance Commissioner to receive the David Award.
Oxendine has been criticized for using his emergency blue lights to bypass traffic congestion. He wrecked one agency car while using the emergency lights and siren to bypass traffic for what he claims was an emergency. Oxendine has since voluntarily given up the emergency lights, though only after being threatened that the privilege would be revoked unvoluntarily.
term-limited in 2010, Oxendine filed paperwork to run for the Republican nomination for governor.
Oxendine was criticized for threatening other state politicians to stay out of the race. After being seen as the front-runner in the Republican primary race for much of the campaign, Oxendine placed fourth in the July 20, 2010 primary.
reported that Oxendine had received over $120,000, in campaign contributions from 10 different (Individuals in Georgia are allowed to give up to 12,000 in an election cycle) political action committee
s in Alabama
. The newspaper reported all ten PACs donated to Oxendine the maximum contribution allowed by law; that the PACs all had similar addresses, and that the money originated from two insurance companies based in Georgia, while state law prohibits companies from giving money to the campaigns of elected officials who regulate them.
Once the donations were brought to Oxendine's attention, he immediately returned the funds to their donor awaiting a legal opinion.
Oxendine has publicly stated that he is "a proud Life Member of the National Rifle Association
, the Georgia Sports Shooting Association, Gun Owners of America
, and GeorgiaCarry.org
". He says that he offers unapologetic, unqualified support of the Second Amendment.
Oxendine is pro-life
and opposes government funding of elective abortion. He supports parental consent laws for minors who seek an abortion and opposes late term abortions. He has stated that he hopes to put Planned Parenthood
"out of business in Georgia" if elected governor.
Oxendine opposes a nationalized, government run health care system. He supports medical malpractice reforms as well as tax credits to increase access to insurance. He recently opposed the "high-risk" pool for those with pre-existing conditions in Georgia, leaving the duty of creating said pool up to the federal government, if it is created at all.
Oxendine has worked with fellow governors to encourage Congress to adopt The Fair Tax He has stated that "The Fair Tax is a cornerstone of my campaign; it is right for America and will help our children by once again making America the greatest manufacturing and economic capitol of the world."
Oxendine has indicated that he will support efforts to utilize new water reservoirs to ensure an adequate water supply for Georgia.
Oxendine supports an educational model which eliminates process micromanagement at the state level; maintaining local control but ensuring accountability. Oxendine supports an "equal access voucher system" that gives parents greater choice in their children's education. He supports efforts to expand charter schooling.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
who served four terms as Insurance Commissioner of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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...
. Oxendine is of Lumbee
Lumbee
The Lumbee belong to a state recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina. The Lumbee are concentrated in Robeson County and named for the primary waterway traversing the county...
heritage, an Indian tribe from North Carolina. A member of the Republican
Republican 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...
party, he was first elected commissioner in 1994 and was reelected in 1998, 2002, and 2006. Prior to entering politics, Oxendine owned and operated a small business and was a bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
-certified lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
practicing in Gwinnett County, Georgia
Gwinnett County, Georgia
, Gwinnett County had a population of 805,321. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 53.3% white , 23.6% black , 2.7% Korean, 2.6% Asian Indian, 2.0% Vietnamese, 3.3% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.8% some other race and 3.1% from two or more races...
.
Oxendine began his career working on several gubernatorial campaigns and was later appointed by Governor Joe Frank Harris
Joe Frank Harris
Joe Frank Harris is an American conservative Democratic politician who served as the 78th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1983 to 1991....
to the State Personnel Board.
Early life
John Oxendine is the son of Judge James W. Oxendine and Louise Oxendine and has two sisters. He grew up in Tucker, GeorgiaTucker, Georgia
Tucker is a census-designated place in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 27,581 at the 2010 Census. Although central Tucker, also known as "Main Street Tucker", is laid out as a planned "railroad town," it has never been formally incorporated. Municipal services such as...
, where he was a Tucker Tiger and graduated from Tucker High School
Tucker High School
Tucker High School is the only public high school in Tucker, an unincorporated section of DeKalb County, Georgia, and is operated by the DeKalb County School System...
in 1980. Oxendine attributes his keen interest in politics to his father who has been a Senior Superior Court Judge in Gwinnett County since Oxendine was in school.
He triple majored in Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at 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,...
, earning his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
with honors in 1984. During college he worked at the Georgia State Capitol
Georgia State Capitol
The Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, is an architecturally and historically significant building. It has been named a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the main office building of Georgia's government...
to pay for his tuition as a student assistant to Governor George Busbee
George Busbee
George Dekle Busbee was an American politician who served as the 77th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1975 to 1983....
. Oxendine attended 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...
at Mercer, where he continued being active in student organizations including the Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
fraternity
Fraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
, and graduated with his Juris Doctorate in 1987.
Upon graduation from law school, Oxendine took over the family law practice, Oxendine and Associates, located in Gwinnett County, from his father. Oxendine and Associates concentrated in helping small businesses navigate the bureaucracy required when doing business with the federal government. Oxendine owned and ran this firm until he took the office of Insurance Commissioner in January 1995.
Oxendine married Ivy Adams, who had also been a student at Mercer, and together they have four children, J.W. (17), Phillip (12), Caroline (10) and newborn baby Jake who was born on July 8, 2009. The family attends Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church, where he serves as an usher. He has resided in unincorporated Peachtree Corners
Peachtree Corners, Georgia
Peachtree Corners is a city in western Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. It is a northern suburb of Atlanta, located east of Dunwoody and south of Johns Creek. Out of all of Atlanta's northern suburbs, Peachtree Corners is the only one that was developed as a planned community...
, in Gwinnett County since he graduated from college.
Early years
Oxendine began his political life as a student assistantStudent assistant
Student assistant may mean:* A student member of a college coaching staff* A student teaching assistant* Resident assistant, a trained peer leader, within a college, university, or group housing facility...
to Governor George Busbee
George Busbee
George Dekle Busbee was an American politician who served as the 77th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1975 to 1983....
. Oxendine later worked on the campaign staff of Joe Frank Harris
Joe Frank Harris
Joe Frank Harris is an American conservative Democratic politician who served as the 78th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1983 to 1991....
, who was elected Governor and appointed Oxendine as chairman of the State Personnel Board.
Election as Insurance Commissioner
In the 1994 election, Oxendine opposed incumbent Democratic Insurance Commissioner Tim Ryles. After a long grueling campaign, Oxendine won with 50.98% of the vote.Potential U.S. Senate candidacies
When United States SenatorUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Paul Coverdell
Paul Coverdell
Paul Douglas Coverdell was a United States Senator from Georgia, elected for the first time in 1992 and re-elected in 1998, and director of the Peace Corps from 1989 until 1991...
died suddenly in 2000, Oxendine was inundated with calls to run for United States Senator, but decided against running. Republican leaders later settled on former U.S. Senator Mack Mattingly
Mack Mattingly
Mack Francis Mattingly served one term as a United States senator from Georgia, the first Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate from that state since Reconstruction.-Early life:...
as their consensus Republican candidate; Mattingly was defeated by former Governor Zell Miller
Zell Miller
Zell Bryan Miller is an American politician from the US state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as Lieutenant Governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as United States Senator from 2000 to 2005....
.
In early 2003, Miller announced he would not seek reelection to the Senate, prompting Oxendine to again consider running for the seat. On January 8, 2003, Oxendine told the Atlanta Business Chronicle, "We've had countless people across the state asking us to run for the [U.S.] Senate, and I told people I was flattered by their faith in me and that I would consider it. I did consider it to the point of commissioning a poll and the results were every encouraging. It turned out I am one of the best-known and -liked politicians in the state." However, when long time friend Congressman Johnny Isakson
Johnny Isakson
John Hardy "Johnny" Isakson is the junior United States Senator from Georgia and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he represented in the House....
announced his candidacy a month later, Oxendine endorsed Isakson and restated his intention to serve out the remainder of his term as Insurance Commissioner.
2006 Campaign for Lieutenant Governor
In early 2004, Oxendine announced his intent to run for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia and formed an exploratory committee in 2005. He showed his fundraising prowess by raising approximately $500,000 for his campaign in just a couple months. In February 2005, after State Senator Casey CagleCasey Cagle
Lowell S. "Casey" Cagle is an American politician currently serving as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. He is a member of the Republican Party, a conservative, and a former member of the General Assembly in the U.S. state of Georgia. In 2006, Cagle defeated political activist Ralph...
and Christian political consultant Ralph Reed
Ralph E. Reed, Jr.
Ralph Eugene Reed, Jr., is a conservative American political activist, best known as the first executive director of the Christian Coalition during the early 1990s. He sought the Republican nomination for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Georgia but lost the primary election on July 18, 2006,...
joined the race for Lieutenant Governor, Oxendine later announced that he would run for reelection as Insurance Commissioner.
2006 Reelection campaign
In the November election, Oxendine had his largest challenge since being sworn in, a Roy Barnes protege and Democratic attorney Guy DrexingerGuy Drexinger
Guy Drexinger was a Democratic attorney running for Insurance Commissioner of Georgia.Drexinger recently released an unusual advertisement attacking his opponent, John Oxendine...
. Oxendine defeated Drexinger by the largest margin in the cycle among those candidates with challengers, taking 65.6 percent of the vote to Drexinger's 34.4 percent. Oxendine carried 153 of Georgia's 159 counties.
As Insurance Commissioner
As Insurance Commissioner, John Oxendine brought reforms to the office, expanding the office hours and creating Georgia's first Telemedicine Program.Since becoming the first Republican to control a state agency, Oxendine has consistently run the department under budget, keeping the office open eleven hours a day (8am-7pm), and returning money to the taxpayers every year he has been in office.
Oxendine has brought the power of the private sector to bear in addressing Georgia's challenges. He created a public-private partnership to develop a comprehensive telemedicine program in the United States which expanded the availability of healthcare to every Georgia citizen without spending taxpayer dollars.
For his work on behalf of Georgia consumers and health care providers, Oxendine was awarded the American Medical Association's highest honor, the only Insurance Commissioner to receive the David Award.
Oxendine has been criticized for using his emergency blue lights to bypass traffic congestion. He wrecked one agency car while using the emergency lights and siren to bypass traffic for what he claims was an emergency. Oxendine has since voluntarily given up the emergency lights, though only after being threatened that the privilege would be revoked unvoluntarily.
2010 Gubernatorial campaign
With Governor Sonny PerdueSonny 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....
term-limited in 2010, Oxendine filed paperwork to run for the Republican nomination for governor.
Oxendine was criticized for threatening other state politicians to stay out of the race. After being seen as the front-runner in the Republican primary race for much of the campaign, Oxendine placed fourth in the July 20, 2010 primary.
2009 Campaign finance controversy
In May 2009, The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and its suburbs. The AJC, as it is called, is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of the merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta...
reported that Oxendine had received over $120,000, in campaign contributions from 10 different (Individuals in Georgia are allowed to give up to 12,000 in an election cycle) political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
s in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. The newspaper reported all ten PACs donated to Oxendine the maximum contribution allowed by law; that the PACs all had similar addresses, and that the money originated from two insurance companies based in Georgia, while state law prohibits companies from giving money to the campaigns of elected officials who regulate them.
Once the donations were brought to Oxendine's attention, he immediately returned the funds to their donor awaiting a legal opinion.
Second Amendment
Oxendine has publicly stated that he is "a proud Life Member of the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
, the Georgia Sports Shooting Association, Gun Owners of America
Gun Owners of America
Gun Owners of America is a gun rights organization in the United States with over 300,000 members. They make efforts to differentiate themselves from the larger National Rifle Association , and have publicly criticized the NRA on multiple occasions for what the GOA considers to be the selling out...
, and GeorgiaCarry.org
GeorgiaCarry.org
GeorgiaCarry.org, is a state-level, grassroots guns-rights organization that is dedicated to preserving and protecting the rights of its members to keep and bear arms that are protected by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Paragraph VIII of the Constitution of the State of...
". He says that he offers unapologetic, unqualified support of the Second Amendment.
Abortion Rights
Oxendine is pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
and opposes government funding of elective abortion. He supports parental consent laws for minors who seek an abortion and opposes late term abortions. He has stated that he hopes to put Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...
"out of business in Georgia" if elected governor.
Health Care Reform
Oxendine opposes a nationalized, government run health care system. He supports medical malpractice reforms as well as tax credits to increase access to insurance. He recently opposed the "high-risk" pool for those with pre-existing conditions in Georgia, leaving the duty of creating said pool up to the federal government, if it is created at all.
Fair Tax
Oxendine has worked with fellow governors to encourage Congress to adopt The Fair Tax He has stated that "The Fair Tax is a cornerstone of my campaign; it is right for America and will help our children by once again making America the greatest manufacturing and economic capitol of the world."
Water
Oxendine has indicated that he will support efforts to utilize new water reservoirs to ensure an adequate water supply for Georgia.
Education
Oxendine supports an educational model which eliminates process micromanagement at the state level; maintaining local control but ensuring accountability. Oxendine supports an "equal access voucher system" that gives parents greater choice in their children's education. He supports efforts to expand charter schooling.