There is a reason Ed Harbison is called the Dean of the Georgia State Senate. He has served in that capacity for 33 years, representing District 15, which includes seven counties in West Georgia. It’s a title he considers an honor and one that humbles him.
Political leadership is not for the faint of heart, especially when you’re the longest serving Georgia State Senator. Success comes from working across the aisles or, as Senator Harbison says, “The ability to get along with others and turn the other cheek, even if you get smacked.”
Ed Harbison is a Democrat. His colleague, Randy Robertson, is the Republican State Senator for Georgia District 29. After the announcement of Harbison’s stepping down, both sides of the fence weighed in.
“We are losing an icon, an institution, under the Gold Dome and back home. He has never let politics get in the way of doing his job. Ed Harbison is the epitome of a statesman. In a building full of egos, he is one of the most humble men I’ve ever met,” said Robertson.
At the urging of Sanford Bishop, who left the Georgia Senate for a US Congressional seat, Harbison campaigned and was elected state senator in 1993. Congressman Bishop was quick to honor Harbison’s service.
“Beyond his legislative record, Ed has been a beloved friend and mentor. I have relied on his counsel and celebrated his victories; I have learned from his patience and admired his tenacity. His service has been rooted in humility and an earnest desire to lift up others, and that spirit has strengthened our community and our state,” said Bishop.
Overcoming adversity
Ed Harbison credits much of his success as a public servant to his early years. He was born in 1941 in Prattville, Alabama, one of nine children. The depression was ending, but wartime shortages were beginning. His family experienced the strict enforcement of Jim Crow segregation, facing inequality in housing, education, and public spaces.
When Ed was five years old, most of his family moved to Montgomery. Four of the children stayed behind and were raised by their grandmother.
“We lived in one room of a shotgun house. My mother cleaned houses for $3 a day. We struggled but survived,” Ed explained.
He credits adjusting to those peaks and valleys with teaching him everything he would need to know later in life.
“My mother and grandmother were two of the smartest women I’ve ever known. They taught me to get along with others and that if you work hard, God will make a way.”
At 16 years old, the only black radio station in Montgomery offered him a position with a show called Teen Time. Those four years would come full circle years later for a career in broadcasting. After graduating from high school, a friend encouraged him to join the Marines.
“It will be fun and we can travel the world, he said. I served four years in Vietnam. When we came back, we were treated like garbage. The public sentiment reflected the early years of hate in the Jim Crow South.”
On the Air with Ed Harbison
Once again, Ed Harbison survived and would continue to excel, this time in broadcasting. He worked at WQXI in Atlanta, WOKS, FOXIE, and WDAK radio stations in Columbus. He interviewed prominent political figures over the years, including former Georgia Governor Lester Maddox and former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson. He continued to do what he does now, serve as a mentor. He hired Marcia Shipley in 1978 to work at WOKS.
“It was my first job after graduating from Wesleyan College. He taught me everything I needed to know. He put me out on the streets to do interviews, including lifestyle and entertainment reporting. He was an amazing teacher and nurturer. He started a career in radio for me that lasted 30 years because he believed in me,” said Marcia.
She went on to work on Chicago radio and for CNN radio. “Without Ed’s guidance, that would never have happened.”
Ed became the first black TV news anchor in Columbus at WLTZ in 1982. His contributions to radio and TV resulted in his induction into the Georgia Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2022.
Serving as a Georgia State Senator
When Ed decided to run for Georgia Senate District 15 and won the seat in 1993, he was offered expert advice from Pete Robinson of Columbus, who served in the Georgia legislature, first in the House of Representatives and then in the Senate.
“Pete’s advice was listen twice as much as you talk, learn the system, and watch before you go to the well, or they will eat you alive.”
While serving, Harbison was adamant about representing veterans. He has passed many pieces of legislation to take care of them and their families.
“Through my own service, I understand how veterans might be neglected. I wanted to make sure they are thanked for their service.”
His attention to veterans has not gone unrecognized. In 2014, Ed Harbison was inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame (GMVHoF).
“The men and women recognized by this organization are heroes, and now I have the honor of placing the medals around their necks.”
He was also instrumental in working with Governor Brian Kemp to create a permanent display of the GMVHoF inductees, including their pictures and stories on the first floor of the Capitol in Atlanta.
The next step
Harbison announced on March 4, 2026, that he will not seek re-election and will retire following the conclusion of the 2026 legislative session. His current term officially ends on January 11, 2027.
“I thought it was time. I thought I had accomplished as much as I could. Moving forward, I’m not going to sit around and get fat and happy. I enjoy helping people because it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”
His son, Edward, has announced his intention and has qualified to run for his father’s seat as the Georgia State Senator of District 15.
Georgia State Representative Teddy Reese has also qualified to run for Harbison’s GA State Senate seat.
