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Georgia elector says there more work to do after Monday's vote

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Published  December 10, 2020 9:19pm EST
2020 Election
FOX 5 Atlanta

Georgia Democratic electors

One of the Democrats chosen to represent Georgia in the Electoral College shares his views ahead of the big day.

ATLANTA - State Senator Steve Henson is really looking forward to Monday, December 14. That's the day he and the 15 other Democrats who make up Georgia's Electoral College will officially cast their votes for the President of the United States.

"I'm feeling proud as a member of the Electoral College to be able to cast my vote for Joe Biden. There won't be a lot of excitement. We just gather in a room at the Capitol with security and press and cast our votes as dedicated electors, but I'm proud to be a part of that process," said State Senator Henson.

But Henson said there's still more work for Democratic electors after they vote at the State Capitol on Monday. The focus, he said, must shift to the upcoming Senate runoff and convincing Georgia voters to shift the balance of power in Congress.

"I won't say everybody's made up their minds. There's still a lot of people who think Democrats don't believe in the police department and we do. We have some work to do to change minds and clarify the information that's out there, but we'll be able to turn some votes around,” Henson said from his office Thursday.

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It was 1990 when Henson was first elected to serve parts of Stone Mountain, Clarkston, Tucker, and Lilburn. He's watched the state's political landscape change over the decades in a way he believes is good for all Georgians.

"There were 45 Democrats and 11 Republicans back them and only two were women. Now, women make up half the State Senate. There's a sea of diversity and that's a great thing for Georgia and it makes people want to get involved in the political process," said Henson, who served as the Senate minority leader from 2011 until December 2020. "With the changes I've seen, I'm not at all surprised that Georgia elected Joe Biden just based on what happened when Stacey Abrams ran for governor.

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Henson chose not to seek re-election in 2020, but opted to focus on family, his business, and supporting the Democratic Party. But he said he is proud one of his last official acts will be to cast his Electoral College vote on Monday.

"Joe Biden has said he is going to be a president for all the people and I trust he is going to work with Governor Kemp to make sure our state has the resources we need to resolve the COIVD situation and the financial hardships that have come with that," said Henson.

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