Updated at 6:47 p.m. on Dec. 22, 2024
Former Georgia Sen. Vincent Fort, a Democratic party leader in the Georgia Senate who was once a candidate for Atlanta mayor and Congress, has died. The cause of death has been cited as complications from cancer.
The loss of the 68-year-old political figure was first announced on Sunday by former Atlanta City Councilman Derrick Boazman.
A Connecticut native, Fort moved to Atlanta to pursue a Master of Arts degree in African-American history from Atlanta University in the late 1970s. Staying in the confines of Atlanta HBCUs after graduation, he would later go on to have a career as an educator at both Morehouse College and Morris Brown College.
Fort was first elected to the State Senate from the 39th District in 1996, representing sections of the City of Atlanta, East Point, College Park, Union City and unincorporated areas of Fulton County.
His most notable legislation came in the early 2000s. He proposed the state’s first anti-hate crime bill and helped pass protections against predatory loans. Both efforts were dismantled shortly after – the first by the Georgia Supreme Court and the latter by the Republican majority.
Fort became better known as a regular at protests. He was arrested several times and was not afraid of making enemies.
He regularly blasted his Republican colleagues and then-Gov. Nathan Deal at the General Assembly over their budget priorities. “When we don’t invest in healthcare, when we don’t invest in education, we all lose,” Fort said, after the state senate approved an income tax cut in 2016.
When risky loans helped fuel the foreclosure crisis in 2011, Fort stood with the people losing their homes and called out their banks directly. “You foreclosed on this woman but you can’t foreclose on a spirit and you can’t foreclose on a movement,” he said alongside one homeowner at a rally.
Fort also clashed with multiple mayors over development projects that he said disadvantaged low-income residents.
One was the city’s effort to seize homes in the Peoplestown neighborhood to build a stormwater retention pond. “This is not about an environmental fix but about gentrification, about a land grab, about moving poor people out,” he said to reporters in 2015.
In 2011, the senator took on the position of Democratic whip, the number two position in the Senate Democratic caucus. He also served on the Senate committees of Appropriations, Judiciary-Civil, Judiciary-Criminal, Education and Youth, Reapportionment and Redistricting, Interstate Cooperation, Urban Affairs, and Marta Oversight.
In 2017, Fort left office to run as a candidate for the position of Mayor of Atlanta, his seat being succeeded by Democratic Sen. Nikema Williams.
During his campaign, the politician appeared on the WABE radio series “Closer Look with Rose Scott”, discussing his plans if elected into office.
“We have to make sure business is done right at city hall so the state won’t have an excuse to try and interfere with the city’s business,” he said.
Since the announcement of Fort’s passing, several Atlanta political figures have released statements highlighting the long-serving senator’s impact on the city.
“Vincent Fort has been my friend colleague, and advisor for nearly 12 years. He will go down in Atlanta’s history as a hero for civil, housing and human rights for all,” wrote Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens in a press statement. “My prayers are with his loved ones, his co-workers and audience and the unfortunate folks who never experienced his passion and fire for justice.”
The Atlanta Council also prepared a statement honoring Fort, referring to the deceased politician as “The People’s Champion.”
“His commitment to the people will always have a profound impact on our city and state. We had the privilege of honoring him and are deeply saddened by his passing,” the council said. “May his memory live on through the fights and causes he championed and the lives he uplifted.”
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to provide additional information on the achievements of Sen. Fort during his tenure in the Georgia Senate.
