What is your name?

Lisa Campbell

What office are you running for?

State Representative, House District 35

Are you the incumbent?

Yes

When is your birthday?

July 29, 1968

Upload a headshot/photo of yourself.

Attach your resume or CV.

Tell us more about yourself.

Lisa Campbell was elected in 2022 as the first woman to represent the communities of Kennesaw and Acworth as the Georgia House representative for District 35. Prior to serving in the legislature, Lisa had 30 years of leadership experience as an organizational consultant, bringing teams together to develop strategic plans, build distinctive brands, launch new technologies, and inspire community collaboration and growth. Lisa is the Founding Partner of BRANDfit Consulting, a firm specializing in strategic communications, marketing, technology, media, public relations, advocacy, and long-range planning. During her career, Lisa has consulted with many global brands including Delta Air Lines, Gaylord Entertainment/The Grand Ole Opry, General Motors, Cadillac, SAAB, the Coca-Cola Company, Home Depot, Graco, Calphalon, Newell Rubbermaid, and the United Way. Lisa was an equity investor and operating partner in the Atlanta-based technology firm, Creative Digital Group, and later became the first female managing director for the Atlanta office of LBi, a global technology agency. She has also held numerous leadership roles in marketing and technology for international firms including MRY/Publicis, BBDO, Carlson and DMB&B. Lisa’s community involvement includes serving as a Board Member for Hope Springs Housing, and work for Hands On Atlanta, InCommunity, Atlanta History Center, and Lullwater Conservation Garden. Other organizations Lisa supports include The Carter Center, ACLU, GPB, The United State of Women, The Atlanta Women’s Foundation, GA Win List, Cobb Democrats, Georgia Conservancy, Fair Districts, and Planned Parenthood. Lisa was born in El Paso, Texas, to parents Ron Campbell who worked as a health care CEO / Hospital Administrator, and Gayle Campbell who worked as a high school biology teacher before becoming one of Georgia’s first female homebuilders. Lisa has two sisters and is proud to be a longtime Georgian. Lisa’s maternal family has deep roots in Cobb County dating back to the 1940’s. Lisa’s immediate family moved to Marietta in 1978 and she attended Cobb County Public Schools graduating from Lassiter High School. Lisa earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Georgia in 1990 with a major in English. Her career took her to Memphis, Nashville, and Detroit before bringing her back to Georgia in 2000. Lisa currently resides in Kennesaw and enjoys co-hosting https://www.politicsandpoetry.org with her father and niece, reading, gardening, cooking, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her family, including her beloved cocker spaniel, Lily. Lisa is honored to serve her constituents in House District 35 and is excited to contribute her lived and professional experience to bring people together around our shared causes including education, healthcare, our environment and equal rights to advance responsible, proactive public policies that improve the lives of all Georgians.

Where did you go to school?

Cobb County Public Schools. University of Georgia.

Campaign Website

www.lisaforga.com

Social Media Links

https://x.com/LisaforGeorgia https://www.instagram.com/lisaforgeorgia/ https://www.facebook.com/LisaforGeorgia

Email

[email protected]

Phone Number

(770) 299-9973

What is your job/occupation?

Strategic consultant

What city/neighborhood do you live in?

Kennesaw

What is your top policy priority if elected? How would addressing this issue make a difference for the people you are seeking to represent and what skills or qualities do you possess that will make you an effective elected official?

Our top priority in Georgia is to restore civility, human dignity, equality and mutual respect for one another in our communities and our legislative process. I believe Georgians want a representative who is working for the people. We know Georgia can be a healthier, safer, and more inclusive place where everyone’s voices, values and votes matter. That’s why I will be working for everyday Georgians, using my experience, listening, leading, and bringing people together around our shared causes to advance responsible, proactive public policies to expand equity, liberty, freedom and justice for all Georgians. I believe that everyone deserves equitable access to quality, affordable health care, fully funded schools, safe communities free from preventable gun violence and a sustainable environment. I believe in the power of equality for all Georgians — equitable access to education and health care, an inclusive economy, anti-racism, the choices about who we love, where we live, reproductive healthcare, and the families we create. I believe equity is the key to our shared opportunities for jobs, for justice, for freedom, for happiness and well-being. I want to work for all Georgians to ensure that everyone has a voice in our state government. I want to serve by ensuring our legislators hear our voices, see us as unique individuals, and affirm our rights to representation. I’m dedicated to expanding equitable access to quality education and affordable health care. I want to create and implement laws, policies, and investment strategies where all of us have equitable access to make decisions about our own bodies, relationships, and families. As a business leader with 30 years of professional leadership experience, and as a friend, family member, human rights advocate, and entrepreneur, I have learned to listen, seek to understand others, and collaborate in developing the best solutions for all. I’m putting my 30+ years of professional leadership experience to work for Georgia House District 35. I want to make sure all of our voices are heard and represented, and that women especially have a seat at our legislative table.

Do you believe there are any existing housing regulations that need to be reformed or eliminated to better address the housing crisis facing many Georgia communities? If so, which regulations and why?

Addressing the housing crisis and closing the housing affordability gap requires a comprehensive housing strategy that includes developing new homes, protecting existing affordable housing, and expanding rental and lending assistance. There are many ideas to improve and expand access to affordable housing in Georgia, and one of the most important solutions is to view this issue in the greater context of other relevant policy choices and seek ways to remove barriers to home ownership. In addition to expanding access to favorable lending so that first time homeowners and often marginalized communities have access to the resources needed to invest in a home, we need to increase the minimum wage in Georgia to a living wage, and in doing so, improve the overall standard of living by providing more appropriate income levels to handle the cost of rent or home ownership. The bubble-up impact of a healthy population drives stability in the workforce leading to more reliable finances, and therefore we need to also expand Medicaid and make access to more affordable health insurance a priority for all Georgians. We should enact gun safety legislation to ensure that all communities enjoy the freedom that comes from access to safe neighborhoods and pave the way for increased property values in all communities. We could reform project-based housing programs to encourage higher-quality housing development, and work with our business community to ensure long range plans and affordable housing commitments are included as requirements for tax incentives and abatements. As the often-touted number one place for business, Georgia needs to hold our corporate partners accountable for positive contributions that support our working families, making it easier to attain affordable, safe, nurturing places to live.

If elected, would you work to increase state funding for schools? Why or why not?

As the daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of public school teachers, I have a profound respect for the essential role of teachers in our communities. I attended public school in Cobb County, graduated from our public University of Georgia, and I understand how important high-quality public education is to the future success and lifelong opportunities for all of our students. We know that the educational outcomes of Georgia’s population – our future community leaders, creators, and workforce – is critical to supporting our economic and community goals. Unfortunately, for the last 30 years, our public school system has been woefully underfunded, and our funding formula has not been updated to keep pace with modern needs including expanded access to technology, innovative curriculum, and other support services such as access to mental health resources. As a direct result, our state ranks in the bottom quartile in the country for student outcomes. This is unacceptable but we can create solutions to improve. In the legislature this session, I voted in support of: * Fully funding public education * Giving teachers and school staff a raise * Funding lunch so that no child is hungry in our classrooms * Increasing emphasis on literacy and reading curriculum * Expanding the HOPE scholarship program so more students can pursue advanced and technical degrees I opposed the voucher bill designed to take money out of our state’s public school budget and subsidize private schools. I was honored to be named to the Georgia Association of Educators 2023 Legislative Honor Roll for dedication to public education in Georgia. I will continue to work on legislation to invest in public education including legislation to: * Help recruit and retain high-quality teachers with professional compensation and incentives for advanced degrees and certification * Expand early education and quality childcare for our youngest children * Expand Pre-K and child care resources for all of our children * Support innovative ways to address poverty as a primary barrier to school success including adding a poverty weight to our Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding formula As a State House Representative, I will partner with students, parents, and teachers, to empower our educational systems with the teams, tools, and trust they need to deliver excellence in our public schools.

What role do you believe state government should play in addressing climate change, and what specific policies or legislation would you advocate for at the state level?

Yes, our state government plays a critical role in protecting our air, water, land, and natural resources today and for future generations. I advocate that addressing the climate crisis should become a top legislative priority and we should continue implementing a statewide comprehensive strategy to build a sustainable and resilient Georgia. Our policies should be focused on a future where all, not just some, Georgians can depend on clean air, clean water, and affordable, reliable energy. I support policies that protect our ecosystems like conservation agriculture practices and forest stewardship that extend the benefits of our trees, soil, and other vegetation, promoting healthier natural hedges against extreme weather impacts. I support solutions like electric vehicles, efficient transportation, alternative mobility, healthy buildings, and renewable energy to improve air quality and reduce negative health consequences such as asthma. We can continue to work together in Georgia to accelerate progress toward zero greenhouse gas emissions and solutions that positively impact our state’s economy, social inequities, public health, and protect the environment.

The availability and cost of health care continues to be a concern for Georgians. Do you support Medicaid expansion? What steps, if any, should be taken to expand access to medical care in parts of the state with limited access?

Now, more than ever, the people of Georgia need equal access to high quality, affordable healthcare, close to home. With the Republican-led, new Medicaid coverage program known as “Pathways,” Georgia’s Medicaid work-reporting requirement is the only one in effect in the nation and is the most restrictive—with no exceptions for caregiving or high childcare costs. This means it is extremely unlikely that many parents will be able to receive coverage under this approach. The new Medicaid waiver agreement between the federal and state governments stipulates that 64,000 Georgians are likely to be covered; this equates to about 12 to 14 percent of people who would be covered under a full Medicaid expansion. In this environment, women will make up the majority of the low-wage uninsured workforce in Georgia. I believe it is long overdue for Georgia to prioritize health for all Georgians, including women and children, and I am committed to the ongoing work for Georgians to lower prices and increase access, through full Medicaid expansion. Pharmaceutical companies are also wielding enormous power over equitable access to lifesaving drugs, home care and mental wellness therapies. I will work to empower the state to negotiate drug prices for state Medicaid and Medicare purchases and establish reasonable caps so the pharmaceutical companies who provide lifesaving medications and therapies end price gouging. I will offer legislation to: * Audit and evaluate the pharmacy benefit manager contracts for provision of pharmacy benefits provided through the Georgia State Health Benefit Plan and the Georgia Department of Community Health * Compare the overall annual cost to provide pharmacy benefits, whether under Fee-for-Service plans or Managed Care Plans or Waiver Plans * Evaluate the management of the contracts, including its oversight of practices that are prohibited by the pharmacy benefit manager contract such as spread pricing I am committed to improving the lives of all Georgians, including: * Fully expanding Medicaid * Expanding access to high quality, affordable mental healthcare services such as addiction rehabilitation * Advocating for a better crisis response systems * Developing expanded resources for youth, young adults, and seniors * Expanding access to telehealth services * Increasing educational materials to better address the needs of underrepresented communities * Increasing accountability and penalties on health insurers for violating federal and state parity laws * Changes that drive integration of care teams including investments in data and technology * Support efforts to place health professionals in high priority shortage areas where they are needed most * Providing proactive support for care providers and caregivers It’s time for equal access to high quality, affordable healthcare.

Georgia's minimum wage is currently $5.15 per hour, below the federal hourly minimum wage, which is $7.25 in most cases. Do you support an increase in the state’s minimum wage? If so, what should be the new minimum wage? If not, share why.

Yes I support an increase in the state's minimum wage. The real value of the minimum wage has declined 24 percent since 1968. Today, even the federal minimum of $7.25 leaves an adult with two children thousands of dollars below the federal poverty threshold. This is unacceptable. In Georgia, we should seek to raise the minimum wage on a tiered scale to a fair and equitable level and index it in proportion to economic growth to ensure working families do not lose buying power over time. We should also remove barriers that minimize workers’ ability to bargain collectively. Raising the minimum wage will stimulate consumer spending, help businesses’ bottom lines, and grow our shared economy. It's proven that even modest increases improve worker productivity and reduce employee turnover and absenteeism. It would also boost the overall economy by generating increased consumer demand. Raising the minimum wage has historically had bipartisan support, and most businesses support raising the minimum wage.