Meet John

John Oxendine

Leading the Republican Revolution in Georgia

The current position of the Republican Party in Georgia as the majority party traces its roots to the watershed 1994 elections.

In 1994, John Oxendine upset a well-funded Democrat incumbent on the strength of a grassroots uprising, while Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich led the Republican Revolution in Washington, gaining its first modern GOP House majority.

Since then, John Oxendine has traveled the state working to successfully elect other Republicans, as the leading Republican vote-getter in every statewide election.

John is the longest-serving Republican statewide Constitutional Officer, and the leading vote-getter in his last two elections.

A Conservative Leader

Heading the first major state agency under Republican control, John Oxendine has pioneered the application of business principles to Georgia state government.

Since becoming the first Republican to control a state agency, Oxendine has consistently run the department under budget, returning money to the taxpayers every year he has been in office.

John Oxendine has brought the power of the private sector to bear in addressing Georgia's challenges. His creative, public-private partnership to develop the most comprehensive telemedicine program in the United States has expanded the availability of first-class healthcare to every Georgia citizen without spending taxpayer dollars.

Putting Taxpayers First

During his tenure as Insurance Commissioner, John Oxendine has worked to make the department as efficient as possible while still providing Georgia taxpayers with a high level of service. Every year that he has been in charge, the Insurance Department has returned taxpayer dollars to the state treasury.

As a result of focusing on consumer service, John has expanded the schedule of consumer help line operators until 7 PM weeknights, to allow Georgians to call for help when it's more convenient for them, not when it's convenient for government employees.

Helping Small Businesses to Create Jobs

John understands the burden that government places on small businesses. Before being elected Insurance Commissioner, John owned and ran a law firm, Oxendine and Associates, employing half-a-dozen workers.

When John first took office, Georgia's small business paid some of the highest workers' compensation insurance rates in the nation, and workers received some of the lowest benefits.

Small businesses were being forced to cut their payrolls or even close because they could not afford this mandatory coverage.

In his first months in office, Oxendine restructured the workers' compensation assigned risk pool. Within a year, new insurance companies were offering less-expensive options for small business owners, rates plummetted as much as 50% and benefits to injured workers increased.

Under John Oxendine's restructuring of workers' compensation, small businesses and entrepreneurs could once again afford to do business in Georgia.

Leading on Healthcare

Under John Oxendine's leadership, Georgia became the first state in America to crack down on HMOs that refused to pay our doctors and hospitals on time.

To date, Oxendine has levied more fines on HMOs than any other Insurance Commissioner in the United States, ensuring that HMOs fulfill their obligations to their policyholders and our medical community.

For his work on behalf of Georgia consumers and health care providers, John Oxendine was awarded the American Medical Association's highest honor, the only Insurance Commissioner to receive the award.

A Lifelong Conservative

He earned a triple major in Christianity, Greek and Political Science from Mercer University. He remained in Macon to attend the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer and earned his law degree in 1987.

John served as a student aid to Gov. George Busbee, who was the first Governor in Georgia's history elected to two consecutive four year terms.

John's natural leadership skills and aptitude for campaigning soon paved the way for bigger responsibilities. He agreed to work as a campaign staff member for the successful election of Gov. Joe Frank Harris - a long-serving leader often credited with helping make Georgia a thriving economic engine.

During the Harris administration, Oxendine served on the State Personnel Board and was elevated to Chairman of the Board by the Governor.

John serves on the Southeastern Regional Board of Operation Hope - a charity promoting financial literacy. He also serves on the Georgia Board of Safe America Foundation.

He has served on the Board of Directors of Safe Kids of Georgia - a statewide effort aimed at reducing child fatalities from fire and accidents - and the Executive Board of the Northeast Georgia Boy Scouts of America.

John attended DeKalb County public schools. After graduating from high school, his family moved to Gwinnett County, where John still lives.

John and his wife, Ivy, have four children, J.W., Philip, Caroline, and Baby Jake. The Oxendines are active with their church, Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church, where John serves as an usher.