Roy Eugene Barnes (born March 11, 1948) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 80th Governor of the U.S. State of Georgia from 1999 to 2003. , he is the most recent Democrat to hold the office of Governor of Georgia. A Democratic member of the Georgia Senate from 1974 to 1990, Barnes ran unsuccessfully for Governor in 1990, losing to Lieutenant Governor Zell Miller in the Democratic primary. Barnes then served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1992 to 1998. He ran for governor again in 1998, handily winning the primary and general elections. In 2003, Barnes was awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Library for his success while Governor of minimizing the Confederate battle emblem on the Georgia state flag despite the political fallout. It is widely believed that his support of the flag change significantly contributed to his re-election defeat in 2002. After his defeat, he resumed the practice of law and co-chaired the Aspen Institute Commission on No Child Left Behind Act. He returned to politics when he ran for governor again in 2010, losing to Republican Nathan Deal. Early life, education, and family Roy Barnes was born on March 11, 1948, in Mableton, Georgia. His family owned a general store, which gave him his first exposure to politics as he listened to the conversations of the store patrons. Upon his graduation from South Cobb High School, Barnes enrolled at the University of Georgia. He was active on the debate team; and spent his summers returning home to work in the family store. He graduated with a degree in history in 1969; and one year later married Marie Dobbs of Marietta, Georgia, with whom he has had three children. After college, Barnes enrolled in the University of Georgia School of Law. While there, he was elected president of the student bar association, and was named outstanding senior. He graduated from law school in 1972 with honors, and returned to Cobb County to work as a prosecutor in the Cobb County District Attorney's Office after serving four months in the Army. Georgia General Assembly Georgia Senate Barnes’ political career began in 1974, when he was elected by the citizens of Mableton to the Georgia State Senate. Upon his election, Barnes became the youngest member of the Georgia Senate at age 26. Barnes went on to serve eight terms