Mathewos Samson

Mathewos Samson earned a high school diploma from Midtown High School. His career experience includes working as an engineer.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Mathewos Samson, and I'm a community organizer and lifelong Atlantan. I'm running for House District 58 because life is unaffordable for working people like you and me.

I grew up in Old Fourth Ward in a family of immigrants. My parents first came to Atlanta in the 1980s, displaced by conflict from our home Tigray region in Ethiopia. The oldest of three brothers, I was taught at an early age that I had a duty to fight for my community.

After attending Midtown High School, I went to college and excelled, but tuition costs piled up, and my family faced a medical crisis that left us burdened with bills. So, I put university on pause and doubled down on my job as an engineer to support my family. I'm not alone in this experience; too many Georgians are struggling with skyrocketing rent, costly doctors' visits, and a lack of job stability.

Frustrated with our broken system, I got involved in politics. I joined millions to protest the murder of George Floyd. I organized my co-workers to fight for better conditions, in local progressive campaigns, and I've been a voice at Atlanta City Hall for public transit expansion, affordable housing, and taxing the ultra-wealthy.

That's why I'm running for State House District 58, why I’m a democratic socialist, why I’m refusing all corporate and developer money, and why I’m advocating for concrete policies to improve the lives of everyday Georgians: because our state should work for working people.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Housing is a Human Right: We must guarantee affordable housing for all, through legalizing rent control, banning rental price-fixing, ending corporate ownership of single-family homes, and investing in deeply affordable social housing. We must ensure that Georgia holds landlords accountable by establishing a Tenants Bill of Rights and lifting the state ban on the establishment of rental registries. We must invest in our communities without displacing current residents, and when we invest, we must build affordable and dense housing so that those who have been forced to leave can come back home.Healthcare for All: We need to pass the Georgia Medicare for All Act, and establish a universal, single-payer healthcare system with no copays, no fees, no deductibles, and no premiums. We must treat abortion, birth control, and gender affirming care as essential components of health care, by lifting existing bans and encoding these rights to ensure that everyone has access to care no matter who they are. We deserve a functional, affordable, inclusive healthcare system where health is a right for every Georgian, not just the wealthy few, and where healthcare decisions are made between patients and their doctors–not by legislators.An Economy That Works for the Working Class: We must bring down the cost of living and make our economy work for the working class. We must support working parents by guaranteeing paid family leave, universal no-cost childcare and pre-K, and a comprehensive grant system to fund before/after school programs at all schools. We must create well-paying jobs to fix our crumbling infrastructure that has been allowed to languish for decades. We must raise the state minimum wage to a living wage of at least $20 per hour, repeal Georgia's repressive anti-union laws like “right to work" and establish a progressive income tax system that makes the top 1% pay their fair share.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Gentrification and corporate housing ownership has wreaked havoc across my neighborhood, and I know the same is actively occurring across this district.

Throughout my life, I watched my neighborhood change. Landlords sold to corporations which jacked up rent, and families were forced to leave. Our elders were particularly affected - on a fixed income, many could not keep up with the rising prices.

All the while, our politicians sold us out to the corporate developers. As gentrification spreads - especially to historically Black neighborhoods like mine - Georgians in my district face the crisis my neighbors did. I am dedicated to ensuring our communities are invested in, not destroyed.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I see my role as doing everything in my power to help the people of House District 58 thrive, and to collaborate with them to reach those solutions. I’m committed to connecting with residents, being present in the community, and listening to the concerns and hopes that they have and actually acting on them. True representation is core to our democracy, and the people of this district deserve an elected official who will fight for what we deserve.

In our current political landscape, I also see protecting Georgians from our federal government and the fascist takeover of our institutions as vital to this role. Our right to vote is under attack, our right to love who we love is being taken, and our right to exist in public without being accosted by federal agents is under threat. Georgia’s state legislature must take serious action to ensure these rights aren’t being trampled.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Atlanta City Councilmember Kelsea Bond, Georgia AFL-CIO, Atlanta North Georgia Labor Council, IUPAT Local 77, Atlanta DSA, State Representatives Ruwa Romman and Gabriel Sanchez