Lucy McBath Bio
Lucia Kay McBath (née Holman; born June 1, 1960) is an American politician and gun violence prevention advocate who has served in the United States House of Representatives representing suburban Atlanta districts since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, McBath represented Georgia’s 6th congressional district from 2019 to 2023 and again beginning in 2025, and represented the neighboring 7th district from 2023 to 2025. She is widely recognized for her advocacy work following the 2012 murder of her son, Jordan Davis, and for her focus on public safety, healthcare access, veterans’ issues, and education.
Before entering politics, McBath built her career as a Delta Air Lines flight attendant and later became a prominent national spokeswoman for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. She also co-founded Mothers of the Movement, a coalition of African American mothers whose children were killed by gun violence, and addressed the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Early Life and Background
Lucia Kay McBath was born on June 1, 1960, in Joliet, Illinois. She was raised in a military family; her father, brother, nephew, and cousin all served in the U.S. military in some capacity. Her father, Lucien Holman, was a dentist who owned The Black Voice, an African-American newspaper and served as president of the NAACP’s Illinois chapter. Her mother, Wilma, is white and worked as a nurse, and McBath has a sister named Lori.
McBath attended Virginia State University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1982. While growing up, she experienced significant personal hardship that shaped her worldview. In 1993, she suffered a fetal demise while pregnant with her first son, Lucien, and was admitted to the hospital to deliver him naturally. A year later, she gave birth to her son Jordan, whose name was inspired by the River Jordan in the Bible.
After completing her degree, McBath worked as an intern for former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder before joining Delta Air Lines as a flight attendant in the 1990s. Her career with Delta eventually brought her to Atlanta, where the airline is headquartered, and she settled in Marietta, Georgia.
Path to US Politics
McBath’s entry into political advocacy began in tragedy. In 2012, her 17-year-old son, Jordan Davis, was shot and killed following an argument at a gas station in Florida about loud music. The shooting drew national attention and prompted widespread discussion about stand-your-ground laws. Her son’s killer, Michael Dunn, was later convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Following Jordan’s death, McBath became a national spokeswoman for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and attended a White House speech by President Barack Obama on gun violence. She also supported the My Brother’s Keeper Challenge and joined Mothers of the Movement. During the 2016 presidential election, she campaigned actively for Hillary Clinton and delivered remarks at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
McBath also created the Champion In The Making Legacy, a foundation that helps high school graduates continue their education and training. She appeared in two 2015 documentary films, 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets, which explored her son’s shooting, and The Armor of Light, which examined gun violence in America and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary. Her decision to run for Congress was influenced by a meeting with State Representative Renitta Shannon, who urged her to seek office, as well as the election of Donald Trump and the rollback of gun control measures.
Lucy McBath Career
Early Career (2018)
McBath initially planned to run for the Georgia House of Representatives in 2018 against Republican incumbent Sam Teasley. After the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, she shifted her campaign and challenged Karen Handel, the Republican incumbent in Georgia’s 6th congressional district. The district, which had once been represented by House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senator Johnny Isakson, included many of Atlanta’s northern suburbs, including Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, and parts of Tucker and Marietta.
In the Democratic primary on May 22, McBath led all challengers with 36 percent of the vote and went on to defeat Kevin Abel in the July 24 runoff with 53.7 percent of the vote. She then faced Handel in the general election and declared victory with 159,268 votes to Handel’s 156,396, becoming the first Democrat to represent the 6th district since it moved to Atlanta’s northern suburbs in 1993. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called her win “the biggest Georgia Democratic upset of the 2018 midterms.”
Georgia’s 6th Congressional District Breakthrough (2019–2020)
McBath was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019 and quickly established herself as a voice for gun violence prevention and veterans’ affairs. She cosponsored the Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need (HAVEN) Act, which provides bankruptcy protections for disabled veterans, and co-sponsored legislation extending Pell Grant eligibility to students affected by school closures or institutional fraud.
During her first term, McBath served on the House Judiciary Committee and participated in impeachment-related proceedings against President Donald Trump. In October 2019, she voted in favor of launching an impeachment inquiry, and in December 2019, she voted for articles of impeachment, citing the administration’s lack of responsiveness to congressional subpoenas. She also voted for the Raise the Wage Act, which sought to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.
McBath won her 2020 rematch against Karen Handel with 54.6 percent of the vote, bolstered by Joe Biden carrying the district at the presidential level for the first time since it moved to Atlanta’s northern suburbs. By the end of 2019, she had raised $620,000 in the fourth quarter alone and held $1.3 million in cash for her reelection bid, with 93 percent of contributions coming from small-dollar donors.
Georgia’s 7th Congressional District Era (2023–2025)
Following the 2021 redistricting session, McBath’s 6th district was redrawn to favor Republicans significantly. In response, she announced in November 2021 that she would run for reelection in the neighboring 7th district, then held by fellow Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux. McBath defeated Bourdeaux in the Democratic primary and won the general election, shifting her congressional representation from Fulton and Cobb counties to a district based more heavily in Gwinnett County.
Throughout her tenure, McBath has championed legislation on gun control, supporting universal background checks, red flag laws, raising the minimum age to purchase a gun to 21, and measures to keep firearms away from domestic abusers. She has also advocated for incremental improvements to the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion in Georgia, and lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 55. In 2025, she was one of 46 House Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of McBath’s defining moments came in 2012, when her 17-year-old son Jordan Davis was shot and killed at a Florida gas station, an event that later shaped her national advocacy. Her 2018 upset victory over Karen Handel was widely regarded as the biggest Georgia Democratic upset of that midterm cycle, and her subsequent votes on impeachment proceedings cemented her role on the House Judiciary Committee. Her appearance in the Emmy Award-winning documentary The Armor of Light further amplified her voice in the national conversation on gun violence.
Lucy McBath Career Wins
Across her career in the U.S. House of Representatives, McBath has secured multiple general election victories in suburban Atlanta districts, including the historic 2018 upset win over Karen Handel in Georgia’s 6th congressional district, a successful 2020 rematch against Handel, and a 2022 victory in the 7th district.
Georgia Congressional Wins Highlights
McBath’s first congressional victory came on November 6, 2018, when she defeated Republican incumbent Karen Handel with 159,268 votes to 156,396, becoming the first Democrat to represent Georgia’s 6th district since it moved to Atlanta’s northern suburbs in 1993. She followed that win with a 54.6 percent victory over Handel in the November 3, 2020 general election. After redistricting, she won the 7th district seat in 2022.
Other Wins & Achievements
In addition to her electoral successes, McBath helped drive national awareness of gun violence prevention through her work with Moms Demand Action, Mothers of the Movement, and her role in the Emmy Award-winning documentary The Armor of Light. Her foundation, Champion In The Making Legacy, has supported high school graduates pursuing further education and training.
Lucy McBath Family
Family Background and Public Service Lineage
McBath was raised in a military family, with her father Lucien Holman, brother, nephew, and cousin all serving in the U.S. military in some capacity. Her father was a dentist, owned The Black Voice African-American newspaper, and served as president of the NAACP’s Illinois chapter. Her mother, Wilma, worked as a nurse.
Personal Life
McBath is married to Curtis McBath, and the couple lives in Marietta, Georgia. She was previously married to Ronald Davis, with whom she had her son Jordan Davis, who was murdered in 2012. McBath has faced breast cancer twice and is a longtime member of Eagles Nest Church in Roswell. She is a Christian.