2026 Georgia General Election

Register to vote

Check my registration

Request a ballot

Find my polling place

Find my early voting site

NC Voter Coalition (demo)

North Carolina

Georgia General Assembly - Representative Debbie Buckner

Debbie G. Buckner is from Columbus, Georgia. She earned a bachelor's degree in health science from Columbus State University and a teaching certificate from Georgia Southwestern College. Debbie and her husband live in Junction City, Georgia, and they have three children.

Ballotpedia - Debbie Buckner

LinkedIn

Debbie is currently a state representative representing the 137th District in the Georgia House of Representatives. She was first elected in 2012 and is in her seventh term. Debbie previously served in the 130th District in the Georgia House of Representatives. She served five terms from 2002 to 2012.

Debbie previously worked as the director of community benefit at Columbus Regional Healthcare System, as well as the director of community relations at Doctors Hospital and a senior public health educator at the Columbus Health Department.

Worked to improve the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) department to help special needs individuals with specialized job training.

Supports historic preservation and funding through a tax credit.

- Worked to improve the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) department to help special needs individuals with specialized job training.
- Supports historic preservation and funding through a tax credit.

Economy

Aims to protect Georgia's 100-mile coastline and islands.

Aims to protect water levels and its effects on wildlife from potential Okefenokee mining project damage.

Aims to protect Georgia's waterways and ensure they are suitable for drinking, fishing, and swimming.

- Aims to protect Georgia's 100-mile coastline and islands.
- Aims to protect water levels and its effects on wildlife from potential Okefenokee mining project damage.
- Aims to protect Georgia's waterways and ensure they are suitable for drinking, fishing, and swimming.

Energy & the Environment

Supports expanding Medicaid and reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.

Supports mandated coverage for mammograms and increased notification requirements for dense breast tissue.

Supports increased insurance coverage following childbirth and expanding Medicaid coverage from six weeks to one year postpartum.

Supports the legal right for advanced practice nurses to issue prescriptions to patients.

Worked to increase medical education slots to meet the large unmet need.

Worked to place more medical providers in underserved, rural areas.

- Supports expanding Medicaid and reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.
- Supports mandated coverage for mammograms and increased notification requirements for dense breast tissue.
- Supports increased insurance coverage following childbirth and expanding Medicaid coverage from six weeks to one year postpartum.
- Supports the legal right for advanced practice nurses to issue prescriptions to patients.
- Worked to increase medical education slots to meet the large unmet need.
- Worked to place more medical providers in underserved, rural areas.

Healthcare

As of July 23, 2026, Debbie G Buckner’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Voting & Elections

Proposed a bill that establishes a safer process for restoring gun purchase rights, opposing the current process which automatically allows individuals who have been treated in a mental hospital to purchase a gun five years after release.

Supports public safety and preventing gun violence.

Aims to change the process for wrongfully convicted individuals to receive compensation from a political process to a panel of experts.

- Proposed a bill that establishes a safer process for restoring gun purchase rights, opposing the current process which automatically allows individuals who have been treated in a mental hospital to purchase a gun five years after release.
- Supports public safety and preventing gun violence.
- Aims to change the process for wrongfully convicted individuals to receive compensation from a political process to a panel of experts.

Public Safety

Supports increasing the retirement multiplier for public school employees to increase pensions.

- Supports increasing the retirement multiplier for public school employees to increase pensions.

Education

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Debbie G Buckner

I'M STEPHEN ACORN,

A Constitutional Conservative and proud American Patriot. I am a devoted husband to my wife, and kids. With deep-rooted Christian and family values, I believe in preserving the God-given, Constitutional rights of the American people.

About | Stephen Acorn

Stephen Acorn, an independent candidate for House District 137 who lives in Midland, said the planning process for data center projects has lacked transparency and that residents near proposed sites in Talbot, Muscogee and Harris counties have been left out.

Talbot County residents push for transparency on data centers, battery storage projects

EDUCATION

Columbus State University, Columbus Georgia, BBA Marketing, 2009

iVoterGuide - Stephen Acorn iVoterGuide Profile

Stephen Matthew Acorn earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from Columbus State University. He is married and has children and lives in Midland.

Talbot County residents push for transparency on data centers ...

What is your position on the minimum wage?

I feel that cost of living measurements should determine what is considered fair and reasonable for minimum wage requirements.

“I’m neither anti nor for,” Acorn said. “I just believe it should be a regulated industry and it should be done responsibly… they get these tax abatements, which is corporate welfare, and us hard-working people — we’re left out in the cold while these multi-billion dollar corporations get to benefit off hard-working taxpayers’ money.”

Believes cost-of-living measures should determine fair and reasonable minimum-wage requirements.

Calls for responsible regulation of data centers and opposes their tax abatements, which he calls "corporate welfare."

- Believes cost-of-living measures should determine fair and reasonable minimum-wage requirements.
- Calls for responsible regulation of data centers and opposes their tax abatements, which he calls "corporate welfare."

Which comes closest to your view? (Select all that apply) A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost. C) Stricter environmental laws undermine U.S. energy independence and deter development of reliable electricity sources. D) Climate change is real and requires urgent policy action.
I believe that we should prioritize the environment with responsible and methodical actions. In the interim we need to quit making Middle Eastern countries richer and utilize our own resources until more environmental friendly and responsible alternatives are created.

What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?

Solar

Calls for responsible regulation of data centers, while saying he is neither for nor against the industry.

Supports using domestic energy resources until more environmentally friendly alternatives are developed.

Said solar is the most reliable energy source to meet growing electricity demand.

- Supports using domestic energy resources until more environmentally friendly alternatives are developed.
- Said solar is the most reliable energy source to meet growing electricity demand.

PRO-LIFE:

Right To Life

I believe life begins at conception and I will fight for the right to life for babies, Though I will support the opportunity for cases to be heard in extemporaneous circumstances which would be adjudicated.

Pregnancy Care

Mothers need quality care, not bad advice. I will advocate for more resources and infrastructure to be allocated for all mothers to recieve adequate care during pregnancy.

Issues | Stephen Acorn

Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?

If the life of the mother is in danger, rape or incest. In the instance of rape or incest there is a perpetrator. In this instance the perpetrator will be charged with murder. As the abortion would occur due to the crime that was committed.

What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
C

Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?

Never

Pregnancy Care

Mothers need quality care, not bad advice. I will advocate for more resources and infrastructure to be allocated for all mothers to recieve adequate care during pregnancy.

Opposes taxpayer funding for abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood and Title X grants.

Advocates for abortion restrictions based on a belief that life begins at conception, while supporting adjudication in unspecified circumstances.

Supports retaining Medicaid and Medicare but opposes additional taxpayer-funded healthcare programs.

Opposes vaccination requirements imposed by governments, schools or employers.

Advocates for more resources and infrastructure for pregnancy care.

- Advocates for abortion restrictions based on a belief that life begins at conception, while supporting adjudication in unspecified circumstances.
- Supports retaining Medicaid and Medicare but opposes additional taxpayer-funded healthcare programs.
- Opposes vaccination requirements imposed by governments, schools or employers.
- Advocates for more resources and infrastructure for pregnancy care.

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Strongly Disagree

States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.

Strongly Disagree

Supports requiring photo identification to vote.

Opposes joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.

- Supports requiring photo identification to vote.
- Opposes joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.

I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.

Disagree

What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?

I feel that felons who have gun related charges and people with identified mental health issues should not own guns.

Opposes redirecting police department funding to community programs.

Supports barring gun ownership by people with gun-related felony charges and people with identified mental-health issues.

- Opposes redirecting police department funding to community programs.
- Supports barring gun ownership by people with gun-related felony charges and people with identified mental-health issues.

More Choice

I believe we should give parents and students the ability to make the best decisions for their families.

The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child through programs which protect parents' freedom to choose their child's school – public, private, or homeschool.

Strongly Agree

Schools:

Georgia Values

What is being taught in schools should reflect the values we have at home. I want a school system that teaches our children reading, writing and arithmetic, not radical liberal ideas about sexual orientation and anti-american programming.

More Choice

I believe we should give parents and students the ability to make the best decisions for their families.

Supports school choice, including allowing education funding to follow students to public, private or homeschool programs.

Wants schools to emphasize reading, writing and arithmetic rather than instruction about sexual orientation and what he calls "anti-american programming."

- Supports school choice, including allowing education funding to follow students to public, private or homeschool programs.
- Wants schools to emphasize reading, writing and arithmetic rather than instruction about sexual orientation and what he calls "anti-american programming."

Stephen Matthew Acorn

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Georgia State House of Representatives.
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws. All bills dealing with the state budget originate in the Georgia House of Representatives.
- The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up our state lawmaking body: the Georgia General Assembly.
- There are 180 members of the Georgia House of Representatives, each representing a single district.
- State Representatives are elected to two-year terms. They are paid a yearly salary of $17,342. They only serve in the role part-time.

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Georgia House of Representatives

Georgia State Representative, District 137

Candidates (2)