Deborah Silcox
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Deborah Silcox
| image =
| office = Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
| term_start = January 9, 2023
| term_end =
| predecessor = Constituency established
| successor =
| constituency = 53rd District
| term_start1 = January 9, 2017
| term_end1 = January 11, 2021
| predecessor1 = Joe Wilkinson
| successor1 = Shea Roberts
| constituency1 = 52nd District
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Sandy Springs, Georgia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = University of Georgia (BA)
Emory University School of Law (JD)
| party = Republican
| occupation = Attorney
| spouse = Hal Silcox III
| children = 2
| residence = Sandy Springs, Georgia
}}
Deborah Silcox is an American politician. She has served as a Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives from District 53 since 2023. She previously represented the 52nd district which encompassed parts of Buckhead and Sandy Springs from 2017 to 2021. She lost her re-election bid during the 2020 general election.
Personal life
Silcox was born in Sandy Springs, Georgia. She graduated from Riverwood High School and went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and French from the University of Georgia and a J.D. degree from Emory University School of Law.{{cite web |title=About Deborah |url=https://silcoxforgeorgia.com/about-us/ |website=Deborah Silcox State House |access-date=June 8, 2021}} She practiced law for ten years but gave up her partnership to raise her family.{{cite web |title=Rep. Deborah Silcox District 52 Biography |url=https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/bios/silcox-deborah-4887.pdf |website=Georgia General Assembly |access-date=June 8, 2021}} She has been married for over thirty years and has two children. Her husband, Hal Silcox III, is an orthepedic surgeon.
In 2005, she was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to serve on both the Department of Human Resources Board and Governor's Commission for Volunteerism and Service. She was then chosen by Governor Nathan Deal to be the chairman of the Governor's Commission for Volunteerism and Service.
Political career
Silcox ran in 2016 for the Georgia House of Representatives District 52 when incumbent Joe Wilkinson decided to not seek re-election.{{cite web |last1=Valera |first1=Brooklyn |title=Candidate Profile: Deborah Silcox |url=https://www.gpb.org/news/2020/11/02/candidate-profile-deborah-silcox |website=Georgia Public Broadcasting |access-date=June 8, 2021 |date=November 2, 2020}} In the Republican primary, she defeated Graham Harris, and she then ran unopposed in the general election.{{cite web |last1=Catts |first1=Everett |title=Rookie Silcox stepping into District 52 seat |url=https://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/rookie-silcox-stepping-into-district-52-seat/article_dfc2bc9c-2e8e-11e6-a693-0fc741710e46.html |website=The Neighbor |access-date=June 8, 2021 |date=June 9, 2016}}{{cite web |title=Georgia 52nd District State House Results: Deborah Silcox Wins |url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2016/results/georgia-state-house-district-52 |website=New York Times |access-date=June 8, 2021 |date=August 1, 2017}}
Silcox ran again in 2018 and won the Republican primary. She then faced Shea Roberts in the general election and won with 52.3 percent of the vote.{{cite web |last1=Catts |first1=Everett |title=Deja vu: Roberts and Silcox squaring off again for District 52 seat |url=https://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/northside_sandy_springs/news/deja-vu-roberts-and-silcox-squaring-off-again-for-district-52-seat/article_0e60aa88-f86f-11ea-8d21-e7ec65ed23a0.html |website=Northside Neighbor |access-date=June 8, 2021 |date=September 16, 2016}} During the 2019 Legislative Session, she was appointed chairman of the House MARTOC Committee, which oversees MARTA.
Silcox ran unopposed in the Republic primary for the 2020 election. She was defeated in the general election by Shea Roberts by less than four hundred votes.{{cite web |last1=Catts |first1=Everett |title=One month later, Silcox still not conceding defeat in District 52 election |url=https://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/northside_sandy_springs/news/one-month-later-silcox-still-not-conceding-defeat-in-district-52-election/article_7216e726-34de-11eb-80b3-43f0d375727d.html |website=Northside Neighbor |access-date=June 8, 2021 |date=December 2, 2020}} Silcox never officially conceded the race.{{cite web |last1=Ruch |first1=John |title=Democratic challenger declared winner of House District 52 race; Republican incumbent won't concede |url=https://reporternewspapers.net/2020/11/14/democratic-challenger-declared-winner-of-house-district-52-race-republican-incumbent-wont-concede/ |website=Reporter Newspapers |access-date=June 8, 2021 |date=November 14, 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Prabhu |first1=Maya |title=Six months after election, challenge continues in close Georgia House race |url=https://www.ajc.com/politics/six-months-after-election-challenge-continues-in-close-georgia-house-race/MA57TKQUANEVBAWHLXX3WBNXZY/ |website=Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=June 8, 2021 |date=May 14, 2021}}
Awards
- 2017 Legislator of the Year. Named by the Georgia Ophthalmology Society.{{cite web |title=Deborah Silcox |url=https://www.sandyspringsperimeterchamber.com/about-us/board-directors/569-deborah-silcox |website=Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber |access-date=June 8, 2021}}
- 2018 Champion of Georgia's Cities. Named by the Georgia Municipal Association.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-ga-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=Joe Wilkinson}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 52nd district|years=2017–2021}}
{{s-aft|after=Shea Roberts}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Sheila Jones}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 53rd district|years=2023–Present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{Georgia House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silcox, Deborah}}
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:University of Georgia alumni
Category:Emory University School of Law alumni
Category:People from Sandy Springs, Georgia
Category:Republican Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives
Category:Date of birth missing (living people)
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century members of the Georgia General Assembly