Levitas, Elliott H. (Elliott Harris), 1930-

Dates:

Birth 1930-12-26

Birth 1930

Gender:

Male

Nationality: Americans,

Language: English,

Biographical notes:

Elliott Harris Levitas (born December 26, 1930) is an American politician and lawyer. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. Representative from Georgia's 4th congressional district from 1975 to 1985.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, he graduated in 1948 from Henry W. Grady High School there before earning a B.A. degree from Emory University. Levitas studied at the University of Michigan School of Law, passing the bar and commencing practice in Atlanta. He went on to earn a J.D. from the Emory University School of Law and an LL.M. degree from the University of Oxford. He was in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1958. Levitas was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1964 and served from 1965 to 1974. In his second term in the state House, he was one of thirty Democrats who voted for the Republican Howard Callaway, rather than the Democratic nominee, Lester Maddox, a segregationist from Atlanta, in the disputed 1966 gubernatorial race.

Levitas was elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-fourth and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1985). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Ninety-ninth Congress in 1984. Levitas represented a district dominated by DeKalb County, northeast of Atlanta. For four terms prior to his election, Benjamin B. Blackburn, a Republican, represented the area. In 1984, he lost to Republican Pat Swindall amid Ronald Reagan carrying the district in a landslide. He is a retired partner with Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton.