Teilhet to Vie for Attorney General
Published: 04/02/2009

By Jon Gillooly
jgillooly@mdjonline.com
SMYRNA - With Attorney General Thurbert Baker seeking the governor's seat, state Rep. Rob Teilhet (D-Smyrna) announced Wednesday he will run for the state's top law enforcement job.
First elected in 2002 at the age of 28, Teilhet is the chief deputy whip in the House Democratic caucus.
"Attorney General, in my opinion, is the second most important job in state government next to governor. The attorney general is in the unique position to be an advocate for crime victims, for consumers and for ethics in government. If you're interested in helping people, there aren't many better offices to do that than attorney general," Teilhet said.
Former Gov. Roy Barnes believes Teilhet would make a good attorney general.
"He has a great knowledge of the law, and he is decisive," Barnes said.
Teilhet plans to reach out to moderate Republicans and independents in his campaign.
"We're bringing bipartisanship back to Georgia," Teilhet said.
A University of Georgia law school graduate, Teilhet worked for the Marietta firm Brock Clay for six years representing business and insurance companies before joining Rogers, Strimban & Teilhet as a personal injury lawyer last year.
"Rob is a very bright young lawyer," said Cobb Board of Commissioners Chairman Sam Olens.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Teilhet moved around with his family as a boy, living in Louisiana and Kentucky. He moved to Georgia in 1992 to study political science at the University of Georgia. Teilhet's wife, Heather, was Gov. Sonny Perdue's communications director until last year, when she became a stay-at-home mom to care for the couple's twin daughters, Maddie and Harper.
The family attends Marietta First United Methodist Church.