Marin
For Rep. Pedro Marin, the longest-serving Hispanic member of the Georgia Legislature, the time had come to honor a personal pledge.
“I promised my wife a while back that I would try and retire from being in the Legislature,” Marin told the Gwinnet Daily Post, in announcing his decision not to run for reelection. “And, believe me, I still have one or two terms in me, but I owe that to my wife.”
Marin, a Democrat, retires with a 22-year legacy of leadership in fighting for issues important to the Latino community, including stopping gang violence and graffiti, being part of the legislation that changed the state flag, stopping racial profiling, and fighting against legislation targeting specific communities, according to the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.
“We are all connected, language, culture, geography, common struggle, and a dream of a better Georgia where all are loved, respected and welcomed,” he said in a press conference announcing his retirement (watch excerpts here).
Throughout his tenure, Marin gained a reputation for working across the aisle for legislation he believed in, and he was praised by Democratic and Republican leaders alike.
“We worked together on doing what we thought was right,” said House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, who like Marin is from Gwinnett County. “Political party affiliation and the fact we were on different sides of the county geographically wasn’t going to stop us from working together.”
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp praised Marin as “a trailblazer, a dedicated legislator (who) has served his district well. Marty, the girls, and I congratulate him on 22 impactful years in the General Assembly and wish him and his family well as he prepares for retirement from public service.”
Marin said his efforts on behalf of the Latino community sometimes fostered enmity.
“I always say it has been a rollercoaster ride,” he told the Daily Post. “There’s been lots of hate emails that I have received, my life has been threatened, my car has been vandalized just because I’m a Latino legislator and I stand my ground on something that pertained to the Latino community.”
Marin said he “takes great pride that I stood there, holding the line, until others came to take my place. Now, in 2024, others have come and said Pedro, ‘I got you. Let me stand where you have stood for so long.’
“I am so glad to have done my part, to realize a Georgia where a man from Puerto Rico can someday serve all Georgians as a member of this hallowed institution. Thank you, Georgia, for allowing me to realize my dreams.”
Mark Wolf is a senior editor at NCSL.