14 Facts About Glenn Richardson

In late 2009, following the announcement of a suicide attempt and revelations of marital strife involving an affair with a lobbyist, Richardson announced that he would resign as Speaker, and as a member of the House, effective Jan 1,2010.

Glenn Richardson was born on January 12,1960, in Douglas County, Georgia, where he graduated from Douglas County High School in 1978.

In 1981, Glenn Richardson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Georgia State University and earned his Juris Doctor in 1984 as a member of the first graduating class from the Georgia State University College of Law.

In 1996, Glenn Richardson became the first Republican from Paulding County elected to the Georgia House of Representatives since Robert McWhorter in 1870 during Reconstruction.

In 2003, Governor Sonny Perdue hand-picked Glenn Richardson to serve as the Administration Floor Leader in the House and in November 2003, the Republican Caucus chose Glenn Richardson to serve as Minority Leader.

Glenn Richardson was elected to his sixth consecutive term in 2006 to represent House District 19.

Glenn Richardson was the recipient of the 2003 American Cancer Society Capitol Dome Award.

In 2006, Glenn Richardson became chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference and the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee.

Glenn Richardson was re-elected Speaker of the Georgia House on January 8,2007, with the support of several Democrats.

On September 12,2012, Glenn Richardson announced he would be running for office in the Georgia State Senate District 30.

Glenn Richardson was a major supporter of legislation in 2004 to pass a Constitutional Amendment to prohibit gay marriage.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the Democratic Party of Georgia had filed an ethics complaint about Glenn Richardson based on an allegation that Glenn Richardson engaged in an "inappropriate" and "personal" relationship with a female lobbyist from Atlanta Gas Light while the company was seeking legislative approval for a $300 million pipeline across the state.

Glenn Richardson said that he has treated the Richardsons' request like any other.

Glenn Richardson admitted that he was taking pain killers and anti-depression medicine.