Former U.S. Rep. John Barrow will teach at the University of Georgia starting this fall, an indication the Democrat will not run for office next year.
Barrow, an Athens native and UGA grad, will be a “scholar in residence” at the university’s School of Public and International Affairs, according to a university press release. He will teach one class this fall and two classes in the spring that will focus on political polarization and gerrymandering, topics that dovetail closely with his career.
Barrow had been discussed as a possibility to run for the U.S. Senate in 2016, as the Democrats have been unable so far to put up a challenger to U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., or find a candidate for Barrow’s former seat. Barrow was much talked about for statewide office in 2014, too, but he avoided a primary slugfest with Michelle Nunn to run again in the GOP-leaning 12th District — where he was defeated by Rick Allen, a businessman from Evans.
Redrawn districts forced Barrow to move from Athens to Savannah to Augusta during his five-term tenure, and by the end he was the last white House Democrat in the Deep South, a throwback fiscal conservative who crossed his party often.
The commitment suggests that Barrow is out for 2016, but the 59-year-old could always mount a comeback down the line. While his centrist record could help him win the rural white voters that have deserted Georgia Democrats, it could also hurt him in a competitive primary.
Barrow said in the press release that during his time in Congress, he was “incredibly impressed by the caliber of UGA students who were willing to get involved in the political process.”
“I’m excited about this class because it’ll give me the opportunity to share that experience — which up until now has been reserved for only a handful of congressional interns — with an even larger number of students,” Barrow said. “But for me, the most exciting thing is coming back to my alma mater and spending time with a bunch of smart young people who are open to new ideas and experiences.”
Barrow will also help the university craft an interdisciplinary certificate program between the School of Public and International Affairs and the Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The aim, according to UGA, is to provide “students with practical and analytical skills for careers in politics and political communication, including campaign management, lobbying, legislative affairs, issue advocacy, grass-roots organizing and government relations.”
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