Georgia State Superintendent of Schools

	Georgia Superintendent of Schools
	; ; ;
	General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$123,270
2024 FY Budget:	$13,989,743,634
Term limits:	None
	Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Georgia Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3
Selection Method:	Elected
	Current Officeholder
	Georgia State Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods; Republican Party; Assumed office: January 12, 2015
	Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 8, 2022
	Other Georgia Executive Offices
	Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Secretary of State•Attorney General•Treasurer•Auditor•Superintendent of Schools•Agriculture Commissioner•Insurance Commissioner•Natural Resources Commissioner•Labor Commissioner•Public Service Commission

The Georgia Superintendent of Schools is a state executive position in the Georgia state government. The superintendent is the administrative head of the Georgia of Department of Education, which oversees the state's K-12 public education system. The superintendent is charged with instituting the policies of the state Board of Education and managing operations for the school system. The superintendent is popularly elected to four-year terms during federal midterm election years.^[1]

Current officeholder

The current superintendent is Republican Richard Woods.^[2] He was first elected on November 4, 2014, replacing John Barge (R), who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014.

Authority

The office of superintendent is created by Article VIII of the Georgia Constitution.

Georgia Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3

There shall be a State School Superintendent, who shall be the executive officer of the State Board of Education...^[3]

Qualifications

Superintendents must hold a four-year degree from an accredited college or university, and may not have been convicted of "any crime involving moral turpitude."^[4]

Georgia Code, 20-2-31

To render a person eligible to hold the office of State School Superintendent, he or she shall hold a four-year degree from an accredited college or university. No person who has been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude shall be eligible to hold the office of State School Superintendent.

Additionally, the Georgia Constitution requires that the superintendent be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the U.S. for ten years prior to his election, and a legal resident of Georgia for four years.

Georgia Constitution, Article V, Section III, Paragraph II

(a) No person shall be eligible to the office of the ... State School Superintendent ... unless such person shall have been a citizen of the United States for ten years and a legal resident of the state for four years immediately preceding election or appointment and shall have attained the age of 25 years by the date of assuming office.^[5]

Elections

Georgia state government organizational chart

The superintendent is elected every four years during federal midterm elections years (2018, 2022, 2026, etc.) "in the same manner and for the same term as the Governor is elected." Like the governor, the superintendent takes office on the day the Georgia General Assembly convenes itself in January of the year following his election.

Georgia Code, 20-2-31

The State School Superintendent shall be elected by the persons qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly at the same time and in the same manner and for the same term as the Governor is elected.^[4]

2022

See also: Georgia Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2022

General election

General election for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools

Incumbent Richard Woods defeated Alisha Searcy in the general election for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Richard Woods (R)	54.2	2,115,728
	Alisha Searcy (D)	45.8	1,788,671

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,904,399
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools

Alisha Searcy defeated Jaha Howard, James Morrow, and Currey Hitchens in the Democratic primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools on May 24, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Alisha Searcy	57.0	382,792
	Jaha Howard	15.0	100,675
	James Morrow	14.6	97,821
	Currey Hitchens	13.5	90,514

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 671,802
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Everton Blair Jr. (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools

Incumbent Richard Woods defeated John Barge in the Republican primary for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools on May 24, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Richard Woods	72.6	802,260
	John Barge	27.4	302,681

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,104,941
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