Georgia WIN List is proud to endorse Luisa Wakeman for Senate District 6, a critical Georgia Senate seat for Democrats. The district covers almost all of former House District 43 in Cobb, where Luisa came 476 votes away from FLIPping the historically Republican seat. It also includes portions of Smyrna, Vinings, Sandy Springs, Buckhead, and North Atlanta. Luisa is a Registered Nurse, a flight attendant, and a devoted community leader.

For more than 25 years, Wakeman has been an active member of the Senate District 6 community with her devoted husband, two wonderful children, and sweet dog. She has worked on Health and Mental Health issues as a Cabinet Member with Commissioner Richardson and is an active member of the Fulton Medical Reserve Corps.

Luisa holds a BA in Economics from the University of Texas and a BS in Nursing from Kennesaw State University. Early in her career, Luisa worked in the financial services industry and says her background in finance gives her valuable insight into understanding how the state’s economy works and how we can make the budget work to serve hard-working Georgians better.

Luisa’s middle name, Oudegeest, is an homage to her grandparents, who resisted Nazi tyranny during WWII as a part of the Dutch underground movement. “I carry with me their values of courage and bravery,” she said, “Their legacy is a constant reminder we all must speak up for our families, neighbors, and community.” Luisa and her parents immigrated to the United States when she was a baby. She says her parents “raised us as Americans to work hard, serve, and live compassionately.”

Luisa is not a career politician but is running to serve her community. She has ideas on how to fix healthcare based on her time spent at the bedside as a nurse and is familiar with the halls of the Capitol thanks to time spent advocating on issues such as commonsense gun laws and reproductive rights. Luisa says, “While I’m prepared to serve, I’m not in anyone’s pocket. I’m running to serve the people of Senate District 6.”

As a Democratic voice in Georgia, Luisa believes:

• We all have a right to have our voices heard and participate in the Democratic process. We must fight to protect our voting rights and those of all Georgians, and Luisa says she will “push for same-day voter registration, work to safeguard the integrity of our process, and reinstate secured ballot drop boxes.”
• As a Registered Nurse, healthcare is a priority for Luisa. Access to affordable, quality healthcare is the right of every American, and she is committed to fighting for the expansion of Medicaid and reproductive justice. “Georgia has a high number of uninsured and has some of the highest prescription drug prices. Additionally, Georgia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, which is double or triple if you are a Black mother. Rather than addressing these failures, Georgia Republican leadership has made it even more dangerous to be pregnant or even have a uterus,” she says.
• Access to quality public education is critical to the future of Georgia’s children. Our teachers have stepped up to the plate for our students. They’ve adjusted lesson plans from in-person to virtual and hybrid at the drop of a hat, often without additional resources. Rather than providing teachers and students with the funding they need, the current legislative majority continues to divert funds from our public schools. Luisa will stand with our teachers and prioritize funding for our public schools.