John Nathan Deal is an American attorney and politician who served as the 82nd Governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party in 1992 and switched to the Republican Party in 1995. On March 1, 2010, Deal announced his resignation from Congress to run for Governor of Georgia.
Deal faced a crowded field of candidates in the July 2010 Republican primary election, ultimately facing former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel in a tightly contested August 10, 2010, primary runoff election, and won by fewer than 2,500 votes. The following day, Handel declined to pursue a recount and conceded. On November 2, Democratic opponent Roy Barnes called to concede the race for governor of Georgia, making Deal the governor-elect to succeed term-limited Sonny Perdue in 2011.Deal won his re-election campaign for governor in 2014 against Democrat Jason Carter. He was succeeded by Governor Brian Kemp. Wikipedia
reported by Trudy Ring, "Georgia Governor: 'License to Discriminate' Bill Isn't Christian," The Advocate, March 3, 2016 http://www.advocate.com/politics/2016/3/03/georgia-governor-license-discriminate-bill-isnt-christian?team=social
Remarks on HB 757 https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/03/28/georgia-governors-wise-veto-of-anti-lgbt-bill-still-raises-a-red-flag/ (March 2016)
