By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
DEC. 21, 2021 | For 16 years in the Georgia Legislature, Johnny Isakson knew what it was to be a minority as a Republican elected official. For seven terms in the House, plus later another term in the Georgia Senate, he toiled endlessly for good government, winning even the admiration of those in the Democratic Party for his zeal, friendliness, reasonableness and hard work.
Isakson
This continual hard work as a Republican lawmaker eventually led the Cobb County state representative to be the obvious choice for governor for his party in the 1990 General election , going up against 16 year Lieutenant Governor Zell Miller. He lost to Miller, but had run a good race, gaining 45 percent of the vote against Miller, who had 53 per cent. The close race showed the first signs that Georgia’s long domination by Democrats was beginning to crack. Later, Governor Miller named Isakson to head the State Board of Education, a beautiful non- partisan move.
Back on the campaign trail in 1992, Isakson won a State Senate seat. Never to shy away from a fight, he found himself still in the minority in the Senate, too, and continued to work for what even his enemies considered good intentions.
Senator Isakson’s next crack at politics came in 1996, after Senator Sam Nunn decided to retire. This time Isakson faced five others in seeking to become the Republican candidate. However, businessman Guy Milner ended up as the GOP choice for the Senate. He eventually lost to the Democrat’s Secretary of State, Max Cleland. Cleland would be the last Democrat to serve a full senate term until the election of Jon Ossoff in 2020.
Johnny Isakson continued to be an influential person in Republican politics, and came forth in 1999 to run for Newt Gingrich’s unexpired term for Congress. Cobb County was then in Gingrich’s Sixth District, and Isakson easily went to Congress with a 40 point margin over his closest competitor. He would remain as a Georgia Congressman for five years.
In 2004, another opportunity came Isakson’s way when Georgia Senator Zell Miller decided to retire. Isakson easily won that seat with 58 percent of the vote over Rep. Denise Majette with 40 percent. He continued to serve in that office until 2019, when bad health (Parkinson’s Disease) caused him to resign the office. Governor Bryan Kemp appointed Kelly Loeffler to complete the Isakson term. That led to the election of Raphael Warnock to the Senate in 2020.
What Johnny Isakson did in his 40+ year career in public service was to fly the Republican flag when Georgia during many of his years in office was a thoroughly Democratic state. Yet there was Isakson, forever the white knight, seeking to move Georgia forward with progressive movement within the Republican Party. And finally, after years in the minority, Johnny Isakson saw his Republican cohorts win the ascension in Georgia.
He led the way, championing their cases with determination and zeal, showing the way, and doing it in a kind and gentle manner. He was an elected official people could look to with pride, always working to bring common sense and bipartisan efforts toward solving first one problem, then another.
The entire state of Georgia has seen his good deeds and decency all his days in office.
Johnny Isakson: 1944-2021: May you rest in peace.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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