Senator Sonya Halpern Contact information

Sonya McLaughlin Halpern, born on October 11, 1967, is an American politician and former marketing executive who is a member of the Georgia State Senate representing the 39th district. She was elected in December 2020 in a special Democratic primary election and is currently serving her first term.

Halpern was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She spent nearly a decade in New York, culminating in a job with ESPN where she helped launch their first digital advertising efforts. She then landed a full-time job with Cox Enterprises, bringing her to Atlanta, GA. It was here that she married her husband, Daniel Halpern, and had three beautiful children.

Halpern earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hartford. Her career experience includes working in executive roles with the YMCA, YWCA, President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts, Electing Women Alliance Atlanta, Atlanta School for the Arts Foundation, Public Broadcasting Atlanta, and South Arts.

She has worked in communications, advertising, and marketing. She worked in advertising sales at The Walt Disney Company, ESPN, and Cox Enterprises. She has also been a member of various boards and non-profits. Halpern is the founder of Whiskey in a Teacup (“WIAT”) Consulting, a creative and communications consultancy firm. She was also the first African-American and first person from Georgia to chair the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts under Barack Obama.

After Nikema Williams was selected to replace John Lewis on the November ballot for Georgia’s 5th congressional district, Halpern announced her candidacy for the special election to succeed her in the Georgia State Senate. She placed first in the special Democratic primary and defeated Linda Pritchett in the Democratic runoff. Halpern was sworn in on January 11, 2021.

She currently serves on the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, the Education and Youth Committee, the Health and Human Services Committee, and the State Institutions and Property Committee. Her current term ends on January 13, 2025.

Halpern and her husband, Daniel, have two sons and a daughter. Halpern’s husband is the co-founder and CEO of Jackmont Hospitality, a minority-owned foodservice management company based in the Atlanta metropolitan area.