Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.
DemocratU.S. Representative, GA-2| Age | 79 (b. 1947-02-04) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 1993-01-05 (~33 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | African American |
| Religion | Baptist (member and Deacon/Trustee of Mount Zion Baptist Church, Albany, GA) |
| Education | B.A. in Political Science, Morehouse College, 1968; J.D., Emory University School of Law, 1971 |
| Prior occupation | Attorney/lawyer; co-founded law firm Bishop and Buckner P.C. in Columbus, Georgia (1972), specializing in civil rights law |
| Military service | Yes: United States Army |
| Birthplace | Mobile, Alabama |
| Marital status | married — Vivian Creighton Bishop |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence | Albany, Georgia |
| Notable relatives | Father Sanford Dixon Bishop Sr. was the founding president of Bishop State Community College (Alabama). Stepdaughter Aayesha Owens Reese. |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1992 |
| Previous offices | Georgia House of Representatives (1977–1991) · Georgia State Senate (1991–1993) |
| Committees | House Committee on Appropriations · Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member) · Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies · Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government |
| Caucuses | Congressional Black Caucus · Blue Dog Coalition · Congressional Peanut Caucus (Democratic Co-Chair) · Congressional Military Family Caucus (Democratic Co-Chair) · Congressional Taiwan Caucus · Congressional Working Forests Caucus (Co-Chair) · Congressional Caucus on Coal · Congressional Caucus on Community Health Centers · Congressional Caucus on Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention · Congressional Diabetes Caucus · Congressional Fire Services Caucus · Congressional Fraternal Caucus · Congressional Glaucoma Caucus · U.S.-Japan Caucus · Black Maternal Health Caucus · Rare Disease Caucus |
| Leadership | Senior Democratic Whip At Large (112th and 113th Congresses) · Chairman, Democratic House Task Force on Homeland Security · Democratic Co-Chair, Congressional Military Family Caucus · Democratic Co-Chair, Congressional Peanut Caucus |
| Ideology | Moderate-to-conservative Democrat; member of the Blue Dog Coalition; ranked 16th most bipartisan member of the 114th Congress; Heritage Action lifetime score 9%; one of four Congressional Black Caucus members to vote for the 2002 Iraq War authorization; voted for the Laken Riley Act in 2025 |
| Signature legislation | Hiring Heroes Act (112th Congress, lead House sponsor) — aided military-to-civilian employment transitions · Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act · Peanut Environmental Resource Stewardship (PERS) Program (included in 2007 Farm Bill) · Co-sponsored Religious Freedom Amendment (1997) |
Financial
Net worth: estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top industries: Agricultural Services/Products · Defense · Finance/Insurance/Real Estate
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC Administrative Fine: Late 48-Hour Notification Filing (2016)
The FEC assessed Administrative Fine #3148 against Sanford Bishop for Congress (committee ID C00266940) for failing to timely file a 2016 48-hour notification report as required by federal campaign finance law. An initial penalty of $3,898 was assessed on October 25, 2016. The committee contested the penalty; on March 17, 2017 the finding was upheld and the penalty recalculated to $1,787, which was paid in full.