# Georgia State Senate — District 44 — 2026 Candidates — The GA Files > Where the 2026 candidates for Georgia State Senate — District 44 stand — bio, prior offices, top donors, positions on DEI, LGBTQ+, abortion, and data centers, plus any scandals. Sourced. *Source: https://thegafiles.com/candidates/senate-district-44.html · The GA Files (thegafiles.com)* --- [← 2026 Candidates](https://thegafiles.com/candidates.html) # Georgia State Senate — District 44 D ### Saira Draper Democratic nominee · state representative, House District 90 Saira Draper, a civil- and voting-rights attorney from Candler Park, has represented House District 90 since 2023 and is chief deputy whip of the House Democratic Caucus. Before her election she co-founded Power the Vote, directed voter protection for the Democratic Party of Georgia and Joe Biden's 2020 Georgia campaign, and was a staff attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Endorsed by Parent, she won the May Democratic primary over Nadine Thomas with 59%. #### Previously held - Georgia House of Representatives, District 90 (2023–present) #### Top contributors $231,331 raised (including $3,297 in-kind) plus $4,031 in loans; a contested primary consumed $187,495, leaving $45,036. Her largest donors are individuals, a Stockbridge gaming company, a Marietta law firm and the electrical workers' union. - $6,600.00 — Phil Walsh (Portland, OR) - $4,898.00 — David Worley (Peachtree City, GA) - $3,300.00 — Peggy Sweitzer (Atlanta, GA) - $3,300.00 — RSK Company (Atlanta, GA) - $3,300.00 — Barnes Law Group, LLC (Marietta, GA) - $3,300.00 — United Gaming LLC (Stockbridge, GA) - $3,000.00 — Jeffrey Ellman (Atlanta, GA) - $3,000.00 — International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Washington, DC) - $2,950.00 — Jeanney Kutner (Atlanta, GA) **$231,331** raised · **$45,036** cash on hand — as of **Sep 14, 2026** (GA Ethics latest filing). Source: [Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) — cycle-to-date, Sept. 14, 2026](https://peachfile.ethics.ga.gov/) · [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) · [Georgia Asian Times — Georgia primary results shape November matchups (May 20, 2026)](https://gasiantimes.com/metro-asian-news/2026/05/20/georgia-primary-results-shape-november-matchups/) · [GA Files fact sheet — Saira Draper](https://thegafiles.com/SairaDraper.html) · [Wikipedia — 2026 Georgia State Senate election (2024 presidential margins by district)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Georgia_State_Senate_election) #### Where they stand Education We reviewed her candidate questionnaire and legislative record as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) · [GA Files fact sheet — Saira Draper](https://thegafiles.com/SairaDraper.html) Healthcare Supports Medicaid expansion to cover about 500,000 Georgians, citing the state's high maternal mortality: “hundreds of thousands of Georgians lack critical health care coverage.” Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) Minimum Wage We reviewed her candidate questionnaire and legislative record as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) · [GA Files fact sheet — Saira Draper](https://thegafiles.com/SairaDraper.html) Homelessness Supports “legislation that would cap the number of single-family homes private equity firms can control,” and voted for HB 689's homelessness prevention and rental assistance program. Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) Veterans Affairs We reviewed her candidate questionnaire and legislative record as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) · [GA Files fact sheet — Saira Draper](https://thegafiles.com/SairaDraper.html) Immigration We reviewed her candidate questionnaire and legislative record as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) · [GA Files fact sheet — Saira Draper](https://thegafiles.com/SairaDraper.html) Gun Control We reviewed her candidate questionnaire and legislative record as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) · [GA Files fact sheet — Saira Draper](https://thegafiles.com/SairaDraper.html) Abortion We reviewed her candidate questionnaire and legislative record as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) · [GA Files fact sheet — Saira Draper](https://thegafiles.com/SairaDraper.html) LGBTQ+ We reviewed her candidate questionnaire and legislative record as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) · [GA Files fact sheet — Saira Draper](https://thegafiles.com/SairaDraper.html) DEI We reviewed her candidate questionnaire and legislative record as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Her core issue is voting rights, which she calls “the foundation to all other issues.” She co-sponsors HB 1191 to repeal the “dark money Leadership Committees” that “circumvent campaign contribution limits.” Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) Marijuana We reviewed her candidate questionnaire and legislative record as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) · [GA Files fact sheet — Saira Draper](https://thegafiles.com/SairaDraper.html) Data centers Supports “responsible oversight of data centers” and voted for HB 1063, barring utilities from “passing on the costs of data center construction” to residential customers. Source: [Decaturish — Candidate Q&A with Saira Draper for Senate District 44 (April 15, 2026)](https://www.decaturish.com/voter_guide/candidate-qa-with-saira-draper-for-senate-district-44-seat/article_99117fca-9223-4033-99ca-9a2762cd09fc.html) #### Accountability File None documented. [GA Files fact sheet](https://thegafiles.com/SairaDraper.html) R ### Ngozi Orabueze Republican nominee Ngozi Orabueze was unopposed in the May Republican primary. She has no campaign committee on record with the Georgia Ethics Commission, and we found no campaign website, candidate questionnaire or press coverage describing her background or positions as of September 2026. #### Previously held - First run for the General Assembly #### Top contributors No campaign committee on record as of September 14, 2026. Georgia candidates who expect to stay under $2,500 generally do not have to file reports. **$0** raised · **$0** cash on hand — as of **Sep 14, 2026** (GA Ethics latest filing). Source: [Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) — cycle-to-date, Sept. 14, 2026](https://peachfile.ethics.ga.gov/) · [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) · [Ballotpedia — Georgia State Senate District 44](https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia_State_Senate_District_44) · [Georgia Asian Times — Georgia primary results shape November matchups (May 20, 2026)](https://gasiantimes.com/metro-asian-news/2026/05/20/georgia-primary-results-shape-november-matchups/) #### Where they stand Education We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) Healthcare We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) Minimum Wage We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) Homelessness We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) Veterans Affairs We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) Immigration We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) Gun Control We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) Abortion We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) LGBTQ+ We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) DEI We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) Marijuana We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) Data centers We reviewed her candidate listings and public campaign materials as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Source: [BallotReady — Ngozi Orabueze](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) #### Accountability File None documented. [BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/ngozi-orabueze) [⬇ Share image](https://thegafiles.com/share/candidates/senate-district-44.png) [⬇ Download for offline](https://thegafiles.com/candidates/senate-district-44.offline.html) Every entry is drawn from published reporting, official records, or the candidate's own statements, with sources on each item. Policy summaries are condensed from that reporting and reflect the candidate's stated positions; where a matter is an allegation or unresolved, that is noted, and inclusion is not a finding of guilt. Contributor figures are early/partial where the official itemized filings (Georgia Ethics Commission) are still being compiled. Corrections welcome via the contact link in the footer. Last updated 2026-06-17.