Karla Drenner
Encyclopedia
Dr Karla Lea Drenner is an American
academic and politician
from Georgia
. A Democrat
, she is a member of the Georgia House of Representatives
representing the state's 86th district in DeKalb County
.
Drenner has four degrees from four different universities. She obtained a Bachelor of Science
from West Virginia State College, an MBA from Fontbonne College, a Master of Science
from Southern Illinois University
and a PhD
from La Salle University
.
Drenner is an adjunct Professor at DeVry University
where she teaches Environmental Science, Principles of Ethics and Leadership and Motivation. Drenner is also the owner and President of an environmental safety and health consulting firm.
A lesbian
, Drenner was the first ever openly gay member of the Georgia General Assembly
. Today, she is one of three LGBT
members, alongside Reps. Simone Bell
and Rashad Taylor
, both Atlanta Democrats. Her campaigns have won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
.
A resident of Avondale Estates
, Drenner was first elected to the state house in 2000, defeating a four-term incumbent in what was then the 66th district. In this heavily Democratic district, the primary election was the key contest and she won it by just 68 votes — 52% to 48%. No Republican
had filed for the seat so she won the general election unopposed. Due to redistricting
, the seat was renumbered the 57th district in 2002 and the 86th in 2004 but she won re-election unopposed on both occasions.
The 86th district is 66% African American
according to figures from the 2000 census
. There have therefore been moves by some black leaders to replace Drenner with an African American. Indeed, in 2006, she faced an aggressive primary challenge from Cynthia Tucker, a black medical professor. Drenner survived, winning the primary by 62% to 38% and going on to win the general election unopposed. She faced no opposition in 2008 or 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
academic and politician
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...
from 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...
. A Democrat
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...
, she is a member of the Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia 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:...
representing the state's 86th district in DeKalb County
DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population of the county was 691,893 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is the city of Decatur. It is bordered to the west by Fulton County and contains roughly 10% of the city of Atlanta...
.
Drenner has four degrees from four different universities. She obtained a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from West Virginia State College, an MBA from Fontbonne College, a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
from Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
and a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from La Salle University
La Salle University
La Salle University is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the school was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. As of 2008 the school has approximately 7,554...
.
Drenner is an adjunct Professor at DeVry University
DeVry University
DeVry University and DeVry Institute of Technology are divisions of DeVry Inc , a proprietary, for-profit higher education organization that is also the parent organization for Keller Graduate School of Management, Ross University, American University of the Caribbean, Apollo College, Western...
where she teaches Environmental Science, Principles of Ethics and Leadership and Motivation. Drenner is also the owner and President of an environmental safety and health consulting firm.
A lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, Drenner was the first ever openly gay member of the Georgia General Assembly
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
. Today, she is one of three LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
members, alongside Reps. Simone Bell
Simone Bell
Simone Bell is a community organizer and politician from Atlanta, Georgia. A Democrat, she was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in December 2009 from the state's 58th district in DeKalb and Fulton counties....
and Rashad Taylor
Rashad Taylor
Rashad Taylor is a politician from Atlanta, Georgia. A Democrat, he serves in the Georgia House of Representatives, representing the 55th district in Fulton County. He was first elected in November 2008, taking office the following January...
, both Atlanta Democrats. Her campaigns have won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials in US political life.The Victory Fund was founded in 1991...
.
A resident of Avondale Estates
Avondale Estates, Georgia
Avondale Estates is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2010 census.Avondale Estates was founded in 1924 by George Francis Willis, who purchased the entire village of Ingleside to create a planned community. The city was named after Stratford-upon-Avon,...
, Drenner was first elected to the state house in 2000, defeating a four-term incumbent in what was then the 66th district. In this heavily Democratic district, the primary election was the key contest and she won it by just 68 votes — 52% to 48%. No 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...
had filed for the seat so she won the general election unopposed. Due to redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
, the seat was renumbered the 57th district in 2002 and the 86th in 2004 but she won re-election unopposed on both occasions.
The 86th district is 66% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
according to figures from the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. There have therefore been moves by some black leaders to replace Drenner with an African American. Indeed, in 2006, she faced an aggressive primary challenge from Cynthia Tucker, a black medical professor. Drenner survived, winning the primary by 62% to 38% and going on to win the general election unopposed. She faced no opposition in 2008 or 2010.