EMILYs List Names Georgia State Rep. Tanya Miller its 2026 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, named Georgia state Rep. Tanya Miller the winner of its 2026 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award. The award recognizes an outstanding woman serving in state or local office, who embodies the determination, civility, and commitment to community that characterized former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ career in and out of office.
EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler released the following statement:
“Tanya Miller is a fearless fighter, who has spent her career delivering real change for Georgians. From fighting back against Republicans’ assault on Georgians’ rights in the state legislature, to making neighborhoods safer as district attorney, Tanya is the exact type of leader our party needs in the fight ahead. Tanya Miller’s political future burns bright.”
About State Rep. Tanya Miller:
State Rep. Tanya Miller is a member of the Georgia state House of Representatives, representing District 62. She chairs the House Democratic Caucus and is running as a Democratic candidate for Georgia attorney general.
Raised by her proud union member mother, she learned hard work and perseverance early in life, which started with a paper route at nine. She then worked her way through school, balancing jobs and motherhood on her path to becoming a lawyer.
At Case Western Reserve School of Law, she excelled as notes editor of the Law Review, president of the Black Law Students Association, and executive director of the National BLSA. In 2022, in recognition of her career of service, she received her law school’s highest honor — induction into the Hall of Fame for “extraordinary achievement and dedication to the highest ideals of the legal profession.” As a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, state Rep. Miller built a national reputation for her fierce commitment to justice, fairness, and integrity with more than two decades of courtroom experience.
She has fought for victims, defended constitutional rights and represented working families in wrongful death, personal injury, criminal defense, and civil rights cases, including police misconduct under Section 1983. Her career in public service started as an assistant U.S. attorney in New York, later continued as a Fulton County prosecutor handling homicides and crimes against women and children, before becoming a Georgia legislator. Today, she also continues to champion workers’ rights as general counsel to the Georgia Federation of Public Service Employees.
State Rep. Tanya Miller was nominated alongside Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, Indiana state Rep. Carey Hamilton, Minnesota state Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, and New Mexico state Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta.
Previous Rising Star Award recipients include: former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams in 2014; former Boston City councilwoman, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley in 2015; former Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran in 2016; former Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym in 2017; former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in 2018; former California Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo in 2019; former Ohio House Minority Leader, U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes in 2020; Harris County, Texas Judge Lina Hidalgo in 2021; former Georgia state Rep. Bee Nguyen in 2022; Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell in 2023; Michigan state Sen. Sarah Anthony in 2024, and Virginia state Del. Adele McClure in 2025.
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