Sonya McLaughlin Halpern (born October 11, 1967) is an American politician and former marketing executive who is a member of the Georgia State Senate representing the 39th district.
She worked in advertising sales at The Walt Disney Company, ESPN, and Cox Enterprises.
She was also the first African-American and first person from Georgia to chair the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts under Barack Obama.
[2][3][4] After Nikema Williams was selected to replace John Lewis on the November ballot for Georgia's 5th congressional district, Halpern announced her candidacy for the special election to succeed her in the Georgia State Senate.
Halpern's husband is the co-founder and CEO of Jackmont Hospitality, a minority-owned foodservice management company based in the Atlanta metropolitan area.