{{short description|American politician (born 1968)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Curt Thompson | image = State Senator Curt Thompson 2012.jpg | image_size = 200px | alt = | caption = Thompson in 2012 | state_senate = Georgia | district = 5th | term_start = 2005 | term_end = 2019 | predecessor = Mary Squires | successor = Sheikh Rahman | state_house1 = Georgia | district1 = 69th | term_start1 = 2003 | term_end1 = 2005 | predecessor1 = Barbara Mobley | successor1 = Jeff Brown | birth_name = Curt Blackburn Thompson II | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|12|15}}<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20191113163445/https://atlantaunfiltered.com/2016/03/10/sen-curt-thompson/ Curt Blackburn Thompson II (D-Tucker) - District 5 (Gwinnett County)]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20191113163627/http://www.senate.ga.gov/senators/en-US/Member.aspx?Member=50&Session=21 Senator Curt Thompson (D-District 5)]</ref> | birth_place = | party = Democratic | education = American University (BA)<br>Georgia State University (JD) | website = {{URL|curtforgwinnett.com}} }}
'''Curt Blackburn Thompson II''' (born December 15, 1968) is an American attorney, politician, and former State Senator in the Georgia State Senate. In February, 2023, Thompson was elected to the State Transportation Board from Georgia's Congressional District 7 for a 5-year term, of which he served until February 2025, where he was redistricted out. He was elected to the state senate in 2004 and represented the 5th District. Despite being in the minority party, he served as Chair of the Special Judiciary Committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2013/jan/12/shafer-other-gwinnettians-slated-for-powerful |title=Shafer, other Gwinnettians slated for powerful roles in General Assembly |author=Young, Camie |date=January 12, 2013 |work=Gwinnett Daily Post |accessdate=September 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118215019/http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2013/jan/12/shafer-other-gwinnettians-slated-for-powerful |archive-date=January 18, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> Before his 14 years in the state senate, he served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2003–2005.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=http://www.senate.ga.gov/senators/Documents/PrintBios/BioThompsonCurt50.pdf |title=Senator Curt Thompson |date=January 2013 |publisher=Georgia State Senate |accessdate=September 12, 2013}}</ref>
== Biography ==
Thompson graduated from Shiloh High School in Gwinnett County, where he was a National Merit Scholar. He received his undergraduate degree in international studies and broadcast journalism from American University in Washington, D.C., and his Juris Doctor degree from Georgia State University College of Law.<ref name=":0" />
Thompson is notable for his support of reproductive health, gay rights, immigration reform, and unions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/11761/curt-thompson-ii/#.URPPpGeGdi4 |title=Senator Curt Thompson II's Issue Positions |publisher=Project Vote Smart |accessdate=September 4, 2013}}</ref> He has been a vocal opponent of the high-occupancy toll lanes project in Gwinnett County since their implementation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.11alive.com/rss/article/258125/3/HOT-lanes-still-divisive-after-one-year |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131008013320/http://www.11alive.com/rss/article/258125/3/HOT-lanes-still-divisive-after-one-year |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 8, 2013 |title=HOT lanes still divisive after one year |author=Richards, Doug |date=September 25, 2012 |publisher=WXIA-TV / 11 Alive |accessdate=August 23, 2013 }}</ref>
On May 22, 2018, Thompson was denied re-nomination for another term after losing the primary election to Sheikh Rahman.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://politics.myajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/georgia-election-2018-voters-kick-out-incumbents-from-legislature/KvGW993plt8wq06dRSnPsJ/|title = AJC Georgia Politics | What's really going on in Georgia politics|date=May 23, 2018|author=Mark Neisse|work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523175057/https://politics.myajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/georgia-election-2018-voters-kick-out-incumbents-from-legislature/KvGW993plt8wq06dRSnPsJ/|archive-date=May 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
In early 2019, Thompson announced his plans to seek the Democratic nomination for Chair of the Gwinnett County Commission in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/exclusive-legislator-and-democrat-seeks-top-gwinnett-post-2020/tnQEwKM1eRwfZlfPvWSwZL/|title=EXCLUSIVE: Ex-legislator and Democrat seeks top Gwinnett post in 2020|last=Tyler Estep|first=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301080537/https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/exclusive-legislator-and-democrat-seeks-top-gwinnett-post-2020/tnQEwKM1eRwfZlfPvWSwZL/|archive-date=March 1, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
In late 2024, Thompson was elected as Chair of the Gwinnett County Democratic Party.
== Election endorsements ==
Thompson has been endorsed and recognized by the Democracy for America, Georgia Conservation Voters, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and the American Cancer Society.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2043 |title=Friends and Neighbors of Curt Thompson |publisher=Democracy for America |accessdate=September 3, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gavoters.com/documents/GCV2010GenAssemblyEndorse.pdf |title=Georgia Conservation Voters Releases General Assembly Endorsements |date=October 14, 2010 |publisher=Georgia Conservation Voters |accessdate=September 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304033924/http://www.gavoters.com/documents/GCV2010GenAssemblyEndorse.pdf |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="vs-ratings">{{cite web |url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/11761/curt-thompson-ii#.URPT6WeGdi4 |title=Curt Thompson II – Ratings and Endorsements |publisher=Project Vote Smart |accessdate=September 2, 2013}}</ref>
In 2008 and 2010 he was given an "A" rating by the NRA Political Victory Fund.<ref name="vs-ratings"/> This dropped to a "C-" in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=NRA-PVF {{!}} Georgia |url=https://www.nrapvf.org/grades/georgia/ |website=nrapvf.org |publisher=NRA-PVF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104211739/https://www.nrapvf.org/grades/georgia/ |archive-date=November 4, 2014 |language=en-us |url-status=usurped}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.senate.ga.gov/senators/en-US/Member.aspx?Member=50&Session=21 Official page] at the Georgia Senate * [http://www.house.ga.gov/representatives/en-US/member.aspx?Member=50&Session=11 Historic page] at the Georgia House of Representatives * {{CongLinks | votesmart = 11761 }} * {{Ballotpedia | Curt_Thompson }} {{GeorgiaSenDst1–10}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Curt}} Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:American University alumni Category:Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Category:Georgia State University College of Law alumni Category:Democratic Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators Category:Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives Category:People from Decatur, Georgia Category:21st-century members of the Georgia General Assembly