Meet Christian

Christian Wise Smith is an attorney, prosecutor, and community organizer running to transform the Georgia Labor Commissioner’s office into a powerful tool for working families.

Christian’s story is the story of countless working families across Georgia. He saw his mother arrested multiple times before losing custody of him at sixteen. He was kicked out of school at seventeen, missed meals, slept on floors, and sometimes in cars. At seven years old, he witnessed his grandmother being strip-searched by police, where she made a fateful prediction while being led away in handcuffs: “One day, you’ll be different.”

Christian got a rare second chance. With the support of mentors, financial aid, and a community that believed in him, he became the first in his family to graduate from college. He earned degrees in Health Services Administration and Hospital Administration, then graduated from law school, dedicating his career to transforming broken systems.

The Right Person for This Job

Christian brings exactly what the Labor Commissioner’s office needs: lived experience navigating broken systems combined with proven expertise managing large-scale government operations.

As Chief of Staff for Atlanta City Council District 5, Christian managed daily legislative operations and coordinated with multiple county and city departments on complex projects. He drafted and tracked legislation, managed staff, and resolved constituent issues with complete autonomy, including playing a significant role in the 2012 City of Atlanta redistricting process.

His Master’s degree in Hospital Administration and work at Grady Health System—Georgia’s largest public hospital, gave him expertise in large-scale organizational management, resource allocation, and coordinating services for vulnerable populations. This is precisely the skill set required to oversee the Labor Commissioner’s office—a massive state agency managing billions in workforce development funds, workplace safety enforcement, and employment services across Georgia’s 159 counties.

As a Senior Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Atlanta, Christian didn’t just prosecute cases; he transformed the system. He created diversion programs, giving people second chances instead of criminal records. As the Zone 6 Community Prosecutor, he designed the Zone 6 City Council Enforcement Team to address quality-of-life issues, earning him the 2017 U.S. Attorney Award for Community Outreach.

From the System to Solutions

Christian’s prosecutorial work taught him a profound truth: you can’t prosecute your way out of poverty, and you can’t convict your way to prosperity.

In 2020, his campaign for Fulton County District Attorney changed the race’s narrative and inspired a movement that resonated with first-time, young, and lapsed voters. He founded the National Social Justice Alliance to unite prosecuting attorneys nationally to end police brutality and increase voter education. He also wrote a children’s book educating the next generation about their power at the ballot box.

Now, Christian is bringing his management experience and commitment to transforming the government to the Labor Commissioner’s office. He sees this role not as a bureaucratic position to manage, but as a platform to advocate for living wages, second-chance hiring, and pathways to prosperity for every Georgian.

Christian is supported by his wife, Keyonda, and his four exceptional children. As a father, he understands what’s at stake when wages stagnate, and costs rise. He’s running for the right office, where he can finally deliver the solutions he’s been fighting for: economic security for working families.