Distinguished attorney and community leader Patrise Perkins-Hooker is the first Black woman to serve as Chair of the Fulton County BOE in state history
ATLANTA — Fair Fight today released a statement commending the Fulton County Board of Commissioners (BOC) and Chair Robb Pitts for appointing former Fulton County Attorney Patrise Perkins-Hooker as Chair of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections (BOE). Perkins-Hooker is believed to be the first Black woman to serve as Chair of the Fulton BOE in state history. With her appointment, the four largest counties in Georgia—Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett—will have Black women serving as BOE Chair. During the 2020 election, none of the four county BOEs were chaired by a Black woman.
Perkins-Hooker’s nomination and appointment followed a move by Republican Lee Morris to withdraw his name following vocal opposition from a coalition of Georgia civil and voting rights groups, who issued a joint letter expressing deep concerns with Morris’ rushed nomination and the lack of community input. Morris’ appointment would have also flipped control of the Fulton BOE from Democrats to Republicans, despite the fact that Fulton voters overwhelmingly vote Democrat. While Fulton County is just one of 159 counties in Georgia, the county accounts for approximately 10 percent of the state of Georgia’s population.
Perkins-Hooker is a distinguished Georgia attorney and community leader who graduated from Georgia Tech with honors and received her graduate degrees from Emory University Law and Business Schools. She previously served as Chair of the Atlanta Board of Zoning Adjustments and Chair of the Emory Business School Alumni Board, and has earned numerous honors for her service to Georgia’s legal profession and community, including being inducted to the Gate City Bar Association Hall of Fame and being presented the Leah Ward Sears Service to the Profession Award by the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys.
In response to Perkins-Hooker’s appointment, Fair Fight Executive Director Cianti Stewart-Reid released the following statement:
“Fair Fight applauds the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and Chair Robb Pitts for appointing Patrise Perkins-Hooker—an eminently-qualified Black woman, attorney, and community leader—as Chair of the Fulton County BOE. In a county where over 60% of residents are people of color, Fulton voters deserve to have a Chair that truly represents their values and the interests of their community. Fair Fight is proud to have worked alongside our allies to protect the Fulton BOE from falling into Republican control.
Fulton voters have long fought to secure fair and equitable representation in the halls of government, and today we celebrate the significance of Perkin-Hooker’s historic appointment. Perkins-Hooker will lead the Fulton BOE during a critical time for both the county and state, as all eyes will once again be on Georgia in 2024. In the coming months, we look forward to working with Chair Perkins-Hooker to ensure that all eligible Fulton voters are able to register to vote, cast their ballots, have their ballots counted, and make their voices heard.”
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