Jane Kidd was elected Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia in January, 2007. Before that, she served as a State Representative from Athens, and ran for the State Senate in 2006, despite a Republican redistricting designed to keep her out. As Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, she has continued her record of standing up for working families.
Jane's political career started early. As the daughter of former Georgia Governor Ernest Vandiver and the grand-niece of Senator Richard B. Russell, Jane grew up in Georgia politics. She served as chair of the Youth for Herman Talmadge for US Senate campaign, hit the campaign trail in 1972 for her father's US Senate campaign, and won her first election at age 27, when she was elected to serve 3 terms on the Lavonia City Council. Later Jane was campaign manager for Congressional Candidate, State Senator Don Johnson and upon his election, served as Congressman Johnson's District Director. She was a member of the Clarke County Democratic Women and has served on the Clarke County Democratic Committee since 1998.
Jane has worked as a public relations consultant, specializing in higher education. She has been Alumni Director for her alma mater, the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and was Vice President for University Relations at Clemson University.
Jane lives in Athens. She and her husband of 35 years, David, have two children. Elizabeth, an elementary school teacher is married to Matt Hogan. Alex, 26, a graduate of the University of Mississippi, resides in Athens. Kidd's first grandchild, Alexandra Jane "Allie" Hogan was born in May of this year.
(Photo credit: Vicki Horwitz)