This profile is the first in a series about candidates for legislative districts we are targeting to flip in November. In 2020, a Her Term candidate came close to winning House District 44 in Cobb County; Rep. Don Parsons, who has held the office since 2013, ended up winning re-election by a narrow margin. Now the district is trending blue in double digits, and we are excited about the Democrat’s chances this year. 

The courage to effect change.

When Willie Mae Oyogoa was about 8 years old, she heard her grandparents caution her mother against registering to vote. They feared the retribution she could face as an African American woman in the South in the 1950s. Unswayed, Oyogoa’s mother went ahead and registered. This was no small feat; despite passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, Black women continued to face significant barriers to voting prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

That determination to register, despite the risks, stuck with Oyogoa, pronounced “Oh-yo-gwa.” She remembers wondering whether her mother would return as she watched her family’s car pull away from the house that day. Decades later, with many state legislatures trying to roll back voting rights, those memories have come flooding in. And they made her think.

“I thought about my mom. And I thought about how, decades later, they’re turning the clock back,” she said. So in 2021, she made the biggest decision of her life: to run for the Georgia House of Representatives. “If Mom was courageous enough to register to vote, why wouldn't I want to stand up and do something to ensure things don't go back to the way they were?   

“When Georgia passed Senate Bill 202, the voter suppression law, I knew I couldn’t stand on the sidelines complaining. So I decided to run for office.”

The 98-page Election Integrity Act of 2021 (its official name) passed on a party-line vote. Called “anti-voter” by the ACLU of Georgia and other organizations, it puts new voter restrictions in place and changes the way elections are run in numerous — and controversial — ways. 

Oyogoa’s decision to play a role in politics took root following the last election. “When the voter suppression tactics of the Georgia GOP became undeniable in 2020, I decided to get involved. It’s important to never give up on safeguarding the fundamental right to vote, and when I’m elected, I will work tirelessly to secure voting rights for everyone.”

On strength and civility.

A resident of Woodstock, Ga., for more than 30 years, Oyogoa hails from Little Rock, Ark., but grew up in Abbeville, S.C.  She and her four siblings learned the value of hard work, humility and service from their mother, who was active in their community, serving as president of the PTA and teaching Sunday school. 

Oyogoa traces her commitment to individuals back to her childhood and something her mom would always say. “‘You are no better than anybody else, and nobody is better than you.’ This resonates in my mind from time-to-time.”

She  has tried to pass that ethic down to her own children, who feel their mom is the right person for the job in what many refer to as a “toxic culture of politics.”

“She will thrive in this role,” says her daughter, Francisca Oyogoa, associate professor of sociology and African American studies at Bard College. “Her life experiences as a Black woman inside and outside the corporate world demonstrate her resiliency and ability to succeed in contentious situations. Her background in investigating cases and adjudicating between parties that are hostile toward each other will certainly serve her well in the House of Representatives.” 

Oyogoa never raises her voice to make a point, her daughter says. Instead, she listens intently, analyzes the situation and then asserts her point of view in a calm, determined, respectful manner.

“She is principled and pragmatic, just the type of person we need in our politics today.”

Han Pham, executive director of Her Term, is excited that women with a wide variety of backgrounds are stepping up to run for office, “driven to help the needs of their communities.” Her Term recruits progressive women to run for office in Georgia.

“Willie Mae has lived this quiet existence for all her life, but the impact of what her mother risked in order to vote has stayed with her,” Pham says. “She is a Black woman who has been represented by White men all her life, and she wants to change that. She isn't the first woman to run in the area, but each candidate who takes that brave step paves the way for the next one. And I think this is the year this seat will flip.” 

A space for all voices, a focus on finding common ground

The older Oyogoa gets, the more she appreciates the concept of community — and the more she wants to ensure every resident in her district is represented and heard. Michael Vosbein has been Oyogoa’s neighbor for 30 years, and when she announced she was running for office, he immediately volunteered to help. He has stuck by her side for her whole campaign, taking on the role of communications director. 

“I've known Willie Mae to be a sensible, intelligent, practical, caring person who is the real deal,” says Vosbein. “She's genuine, and if she's running for office, you can bet it's not about empowering herself. She has a true calling to help others.”

Oyogoa draws distinctions between herself and her opponent. The two take different positions on many policy issues, most notably voting rights and healthcare. Oyogoa wants to push access to healthcare front and center. She also sees the protection of personal privacy rights as a priority — and an issue where consensus can be built across the political spectrum. 

“With the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and pushing issues back to the states — whether that be abortion, gun rights or any number of other controversial issues — it is critical that we have people in the Statehouse who have the best interest of all Georgians in mind. I say Georgia because, while I may be representing District 44, whatever happens in the Statehouse affects all of Georgia, not just my district.”

Still, foremost on her mind is whether she’s meeting her constituents' concerns. “I want to hear from them. What issues do they have? Have their state representatives been out to talk with them? Do those representatives know what matters to people? I want to hear what matters and address those issues and concerns while I'm in office.”

Oyogoa describes each role as a balance between listening and, ultimately, mediating and developing solutions. “I would say, ‘Help me understand; let’s talk about the issue or concern. By working together, we can develop a viable solution.”

The experience, the vision and the heart needed to make it work 

Student debt has been in the news lately, and Oyogoa knows first hand about the challenges students face financially as they pursue higher education – and the debt many carry after they finish school. After receiving an associate degree, she started working in an entry-level job at a Georgia-based utility company. Given the opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree and get reimbursed for it, Oyogoa enrolled in Georgia State University. Upon graduating, she began the company’s accounting management training program, followed by a customer service supervisor job that sent her to Rome, Ga. Two years later, she returned to Atlanta for an analyst job back at corporate headquarters. After a year, she joined the company’s equal employment opportunity/corporate concerns department. She ended up serving as a labor relations coordinator, engaging in contract negotiations with the union and mediating grievances between employees and upper management until she retired in 2012. That experience will serve her well when she navigates the daily challenges of the General Assembly.

Maggie Chambers, executive director of the Georgia office of Emerge America, which recruits and trains women to run for office, worked with Oyogoa when she started preparing for the election. Chambers is very excited about the race. "What really strikes me about Willie Mae is how incredibly thoughtful she is as a candidate. She is really dedicated to showing up for her community, listening to constituents at events and town halls and then formulating policy proposals directly based on what her community needs. We need more strong leaders like Willie Mae in office, and I know she's going to be a great fighter for HD 44!"

One thing Oyogoa promises to fight for is Medicaid expansion. She feels it is vitally important in the state, considering the number of uninsured Georgians. She speaks about a friend who has to have an eye injection every month. “If she did not have insurance coverage, she would go blind. It costs $10,000 each time she receives an injection. What happens to uninsured Georgians like my friend? Do they go blind?”

Oyogoa knows she has a tough fight ahead, but she believes she has what it takes to represent her district and is confident she can flip the seat. 

“A lot of folks say we can win this. I feel good about it. I may be David, and my opponent may be Goliath, but David beat Goliath, so it's highly possible.”

Photo credit: Elizabeth Karp Photography