Sam Park - Georgia State Representative

Samuel Lauderdale Park was born on October 1, 1985, and is a native Georgian raised by a single mother who emphasized faith, family, and hard work. His grandparents were refugees from the Korean War who immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s. Park's mother, who immigrated during the Korean War, worked multiple jobs to provide for him and his two sisters.

A pivotal moment in Park's life came in December 2014 when his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Witnessing her struggle for access to healthcare inspired him to enter politics. His mother lived to see him achieve his dream of becoming an elected official.

Park made history in 2016 as the first openly gay man and first Asian American Democrat elected to the Georgia General Assembly. He defeated a six-year incumbent Republican to flip his state house seat. In 2018, he was re-elected with 58.81% of the vote and was selected to serve as vice-chair of the Gwinnett State House Delegation.

Education

Park earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Georgia State University in 2009. He then attended Georgia State University College of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor in 2013. Following his law degree, he received a Fellowship in Civil Rights and Constitutional Law from American University Washington College of Law and earned a Master of Laws in 2014 with a specialization in Law, Politics, and Legislation.

Political Experience

Current Position: Park serves as the Democratic Whip in the Georgia House of Representatives, representing House District 107 in Gwinnett County. Through this leadership role, he organizes opposition to extremist policies while advancing solutions rooted in justice, equity, and economic opportunity.

Legislative Focus: Park has championed comprehensive civil rights legislation and worked to expand Medicaid to ensure healthcare access for all Georgians—a priority stemming from his mother's experience. He has led efforts to strengthen public health infrastructure, safeguard voting rights, accelerate the transition to renewable energy, address racial and gender disparities, and invest in working families.

Professional Background: Beyond his legislative work, Park is an attorney and public health advocate who serves as General Counsel for Positive Impact Health Centers, a leading nonprofit HIV health center in Georgia. Earlier in his legal career, he worked as a bankruptcy litigator helping families in financial hardship fight foreclosure, repossession, and garnishment, and provided legal services to low-income families with children at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.