Sam Olens

Sam Olens
Attorney General of Georgia
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 10, 2011
Governor Nathan Deal
Preceded by Thurbert Baker
Personal details
Born Samuel Scott Olens
July 8, 1957
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Lisa Olens
Children 2
Alma mater American University
Emory University
Religion Judaism

Samuel Scott "Sam" Olens (born July 8, 1957)[1] is the Attorney General for the state of Georgia. Previously, he was the chairman of the Cobb County Commission. He defeated former District Attorney Ken Hodges in the 2010 state elections in Georgia. Olens is the first person of the Jewish faith to win a statewide, partisan race in Georgia.[2]

Early life and career

Olens is a Florida native, who was raised in New Jersey.[2] He was elected to the Cobb County Commission in 1998, serving until 2010.[3] He was the commission's chairman from 2002 to 2010. Since 2004, he has served as the chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission.[4]

2010 election

Olens defeated state senator Preston Smith to win the Republican nomination for attorney general.[5] In the general election, he defeated former Dougherty County District Attorney Ken Hodges.[6]

Legislative Victories

Alarmed by the sex trafficking statistics in Georgia, Olens joined forces with legislators to advocate for a stronger human trafficking law in Georgia. HB 200 went into effect on July 1, 2011.[7][8]

Olens worked alongside legislators to pass a re-write of Georgia's Open Meetings and Open Records Laws. HB 397 was the result in the 2012 legislative session, and was signed by Gov. Nathan Deal on April 17, 2012.[9]

Republican National Convention Address

Olens delivered a primetime address on national healthcare reform and federal regulatory overreach to the Republican National Convention in Tampa on August 29, 2012.[10]

Most Influential List

In January 2013, Olens was named to Georgia Trend magazine's "Most Influential Georgians: Georgia's Power List".[11]

References

External links

Legal offices
Preceded by
Thurbert Baker
Attorney General of Georgia
2011–present
Incumbent