51 Facts About Karen Handel

Karen Christine Handel is an American businesswoman and former politician.

In 2010, Karen Handel ran for Governor of Georgia but narrowly lost the Republican primary to Nathan Deal, who attacked Karen Handel as overly supportive of gay rights and abortion rights.

In 2011, Handel was appointed Senior Vice President of public policy at Susan G Komen for the Cure, a charity focused on fighting breast cancer.

Karen Handel pushed the charity to cut off Komen's funding for breast-cancer screening at Planned Parenthood, reportedly because of her personal anti-abortion views.

In 2017, Karen Handel became the first Republican woman from Georgia elected to Congress after winning a special election to fill a vacancy in Georgia's 6th congressional district.

On November 3,2020, Karen Handel lost to McBath in a rematch, earning a lower percentage of the vote than she did in 2018.

Karen Handel worked at several major companies, including the global eye-care company Ciba Vision and the international accounting firm KPMG.

Karen Handel served as president and CEO of the Greater Fulton County Chamber of Commerce.

From December 2002 to November 2003, Karen Handel served as deputy chief of staff to Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, where she worked as a policy advisor and supervised constituent services, the Governor's Mansion, and general administration services.

Karen Handel had run for commissioner unsuccessfully in November 2002, while serving as the president and CEO of North Fulton County Chamber of Commerce.

Karen Handel chose not to run for re-election as the chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, in order to run for Georgia Secretary of State.

Karen Handel was the first elected Republican secretary of state in Georgia history.

Karen Handel served as Georgia Secretary of State from 2007 to 2010.

Karen Handel defended her program, asserting that it was appropriate and necessary.

In March 2009, Karen Handel announced her decision to run for Georgia governor.

Karen Handel resigned as secretary of state in December 2009 in order to focus on her campaign for governor full-time.

Karen Handel received the endorsement of former Republican 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, as well as former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Karen Handel declined to request a recount, and conceded to Deal the next day.

Goldberg further reported that his anonymous sources indicated that the decision to cut funding to Planned Parenthood was driven by Karen Handel, who opposes abortion.

On September 11,2012, Handel published a book, Planned Bullyhood, about her tenure as vice president of public policy at Susan G Komen for the Cure.

On May 17,2013, Karen Handel announced that she would be a candidate for the United States Senate.

Karen Handel was endorsed by former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin in March 2014.

In February 2017, Karen Handel announced a run for US House of Representatives in the 2017 special election, to fill a vacancy in Georgia's 6th congressional district, against Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff.

Karen Handel finished second in the jungle primary, and faced Ossoff in the run-off.

Karen Handel said that she would welcome Trump if he wanted to campaign with her.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan campaigned for Handel, saying, "We need someone who is tested and true", and Handel was endorsed by the United States Chamber of Commerce, Susan B Anthony List, National Right to Life Committee, and the NRA Political Victory Fund.

On June 15,2017, Karen Handel's home was the target of a "suspicious package" containing a "white powdery substance" and a threatening letter.

Several of Karen Handel's neighbors received similar suspicious packages in the mail.

Karen Handel ran for a full term in 2018 and was unopposed in the Republican primary.

On June 22,2018, Karen Handel, while presiding over the House of Representatives, cited House Rule XVII in an attempt to stop California Representative Ted Lieu from playing audio previously published by ProPublica that recorded the voices of children and infants separated from their parents under the Trump administration family separation policy.

Karen Handel was ranked by The Lugar Center as the 320th most bi-partisan member of the House during the 115th Congress.

In 2014, Karen Handel described herself as an "unwavering conservative fighter", rather than a "go-along-to-get-along" Republican.

Karen Handel voiced support for Trump's May 9,2017, firing of FBI Director James Comey, stating, "it's been clear for some time that FBI Director Comey has lost the confidence of Republicans, Democrats, and broader institutions, and his removal as FBI Director was probably overdue".

Karen Handel has said that the federal government's role in combating climate change should be "limited so that state and local government lead the way".

Karen Handel supported Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Karen Handel had expressed support for Tom Price's legislation to replace Obamacare.

Karen Handel supported the May 2017 version of the American Health Care Act, the Republican Party's replacement plan for the Affordable Care Act.

Karen Handel said, "I reject the premise of CBO", referring to the Congressional Budget Office estimate that 23 million more Americans would be uninsured if the May 2017 version of AHCA were to become law.

Karen Handel has described the tax system as comprising "onerous, punitive regulations, costly red tape, and a complex tax structure, with rates that are too high, are limiting business expansion and job growth".

Karen Handel voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Karen Handel called the passing of the bill a "historic moment", and said that the bill would be "transformative for hard-working American families and American companies, especially our small businesses".

Karen Handel said that "hard-working Americans" will "keep more of their money".

Karen Handel said that the bill would enable small businesses to "innovate and grow".

Karen Handel opposed the bi-partisan Senate "Gang of Eight" bill, which would have provided a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

Karen Handel supports building a wall along the US-Mexico border.

Karen Handel opposes abortion, and favors eliminating government funding for Planned Parenthood.

Karen Handel wrote a book, Planned Bullyhood: The Truth Behind the Headlines about the Planned Parenthood Funding Battle with Susan G Komen for the Cure, about the subject.

Karen Handel voted against legislation that would have given domestic partner benefits.

Karen Handel received an "A" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund, as well as their endorsement, in 2017.

Karen Handel supported Georgia's "campus carry" law which allows people to bring guns onto the campuses of state universities.

Karen Handel is married to Steve Karen Handel, and resides in Roswell, Georgia.