Governor Brian Kemp has appointed William S. Duffey, Jr. to serve as the new Chair of the State Elections Board.
Duffey, a part-time resident of Clarkesville, retired as U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia in 2018. Before assuming the federal bench, he served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District and in private practice as a partner with Atlanta-based King & Spalding. He began his career as a lawyer in the U.S. Air Force.
From 1994 to 1995, Duffey left private practice to serve as Deputy Independent Counsel in charge of the Arkansas phase of the Whitewater investigation. Afterward, he returned to private practice where his work involved ethics counseling, including state and local elected officials’ compliance with state ethics requirements.
In announcing Duffey’s appointment, Kemp said he is confident the judge will help ensure Georgia’s elections are “secure, accessible, and fair.”
“Judge Duffey has been involved in complex litigation for decades, both as a lawyer and a judge,” said Kemp. “Through his vast experience, he has established himself as a man of integrity who will uphold the highest ethical standards in his application of the laws of our state and nation.”
“Our democracy is founded on citizens participating in the process to elect those who govern them,” says Duffey. “I am committed to working with my colleagues on the State Elections Board to perform our duty to protect the integrity of the election process because every Georgia voter is entitled to know their vote is secure and that it counts.”
Judge Duffey is married to Betsy Byars Duffey, an author of children’s and adult books. They live in Atlanta and Clarkesville, Georgia.
