Getting to Know Sen. Carden Summers (R)

Chairman of the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions

Meet your new Chairman of the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee: Carden Summers!

Sen. Summers was born and raised in Cordele, GA. His background is primarily in Commercial Real Estate. He owns and operates several residential rental properties and manages a billboard advertising agency, with signs in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Sen. Summers represents Georgia’s 13th legislative district, located in south-central Georgia. Following recent redistricting, his district now includes the following counties: Ben Hill, Berrien, west Coffee, Crisp, Irwin, Lee, Turner, and Worth. He represents about 166,000 people and the district leans heavily Republican.

He won a special election to the State Senate in early 2020, following the death of Senator Greg Kirk (R-Americus) in December 2019. Sen. Summers secured a full two-year term later that year. He won in a contested GOP Primary in May 2022 and was unchallenged in the General Election in November. He formerly ran for House District 147 in 2008.

as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities. He is also a member of the Senate Committees on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs and Economic Development and Tourism.

Sen. Summers’ hobbies include flying his plane, farming, quail hunting, fishing, and anything to do with horses. The Summers own many horses on their farm.

Sen. Summers indicated that he has several legislative priorities this session including one to “clean up” hemp farming and medical marijuana provisions and another dealing with homelessness and other social issues. He made waves in the 2022 session when he introduced legislation that would have criminalized camping along roadways, in the woods, or in public spaces. He later went on to chair a study committee on homelessness, which focused on the supply and affordability of housing.

Sen. Summers also has experience at the local government level, previously serving a six-year term on the Crisp County Board of Commissioners. He is married to Janis and together they have two children. Their daughter lives in Buckhead with the couple’s first grandson; a son remains in Cordele.

In addition to serving as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions, Sen. Summers serves

Now entering his second full term, this is Sen. Summers’ first chairmanship assignment and his first time serving on the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee. He is excited to work in this capacity and is grateful for the confidence Senate Leadership showed in placing him at the helm of such a crucial committee. He believes less regulation is better and is anxious to learn more about the community banking industry. He welcomes any comments and feedback that our bankers may have.

We look forward to working with Sen. Summers in his new capacity as Chairman. You may contact Sen. Summers at carden.summers@senate.ga.gov.