State Rep. Mandi Ballinger died after a long battle with cancer, House Speaker Jon Burns announced Sunday.
The Canton Republican served in Georgia’s State House for more than a decade. Voters first elected her in 2012. She most recently served as chair of the House Judiciary Juvenile Committee, representing District 23.
“Her commitment to advocating on behalf of the most vulnerable among us, including children and survivors of domestic violence, has certainly left an indelible mark on countless lives across the entire state of Georgia,” Burns said in a statement.
During her tenure as a legislator, Ballinger focused on combating child abuse and domestic violence. She was also a proponent of the Second Amendment. In 2017, she sponsored legislation that allows college students to carry concealed weapons on public campuses across the state.
And in 2022, Ballinger carried a bill that would let Georgians carry a concealed handgun without first getting a license from the state. A similar Senate proposal was signed into law later that year.
Ballinger started her career working at a domestic violence shelter and later at a district attorney’s office as a victim advocate. She was later a founding director for a child advocacy center.
In a statement, Gov. Brian Kemp called her a “leader who was respected across the political aisle as an advocate for justice in our state.”
State Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, sat next to Ballinger in the House chamber every day during session for the last 10 years. He saw lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle come to her desk for advice on legislation over the decade.
“She just truly had her heart in it, and it didn’t stop when she walked out of the Capitol building,” he said. “She was always thinking of what we could do next and lift Georgia into a better place.”
Martin emphasized her focus on supporting children who were survivors of abuse and exploitation.
“I don’t know there’s anybody who had more of a heart for the youth, the most vulnerable in our community. She was always focusing on things that affected people who were marginalized or minimized and had a heart for service.”
Ballinger entered the Legislature at the same time as state Rep. Bill Hitchens, R-Rincon. She served for many years on his subcommittee, Public Safety Appropriations.
“We both came from a criminal justice background, but we were from different perspectives. She worked trying to resolve issues for children and social issues. I was in law enforcement,” he said. “She boiled everything down to basic facts. She became not only a friend but a confidante.”
Ballinger was also a champion for other Republican women, said state Rep. Leesa Hagan, R-Lyons.
“There aren’t very many of us Republican women who served. We looked out for each other,” she said. “She was very welcoming to me and was always there to answer questions. We knew, as newer legislators, we could count on her to advise us and support us along the way.”
State Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, first got to know Ballinger because they both represent parts of Cherokee County, a place she grew up in and had “unquestionable passion” for.
He also got to know her as a frequent co-sponsor of legislation protecting the Second Amendment.
“Whenever we had a tough issue, Mandi was always someone I talked to.”
When it came to children, Ballinger “worked tirelessly” and helped educate fellow legislators about the important issues she was trying to solve, Jasperse said. She knew the tiny things could make the biggest difference in a child’s life.
“She was someone who is rock solid in her beliefs, knows what’s right and will do whatever it takes to get there,” he said.
Ballinger is survived by her husband, State Court Judge Allen Morris, and son, Henry. Burns asked Georgians to pray for her family “as they face this devastating loss.”
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