Bishop, Sanford, Jr., 1947-

Sanford Dixon Bishop Jr. (born February 4, 1947) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 2nd congressional district, serving since 1993. He became the dean of Georgia's congressional delegation following the death of John Lewis. As a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, he belongs to the conservative faction of the Democratic Party. His district is located in the southwestern part of the state and includes Albany, Thomasville, and most of Columbus and Macon.

Bishop was born in Mobile, Alabama to Minnie B. Slade and Sanford Dixon Bishop, who was the first president of Bishop State Community College. He was educated at Morehouse College and Emory University School of Law, and served in the United States Army. While at Morehouse, he was a classmate of Herman Cain. After receiving his honorable discharge, Bishop operated a law firm in Columbus, Georgia.

He was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1977, where he remained until being elected to the Georgia Senate in 1990. After one term as a State Senator, Bishop primaried six-term Congressman Charles Hatcher in 1992, narrowly prevailing over Hatcher in a runoff election. Bishop was elected that November and has been re-elected every two years since. Bishop is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition within the Democratic Party.