The Labor Commissioner touches your life when you need it most, when you lose your job, search for work, or need training for a better career. It’s time for bold leadership that transforms this office into a tool for economic justice.
From Poverty to Prosecutor to People’s Advocate
Christian became the first in his family to graduate from college. He earned a Master’s degree in Hospital Administration and managed large healthcare systems. He served as Chief of Staff for the Atlanta City Council, running a city council office and managing major projects. As a prosecutor, he created second-chance programs that transformed lives instead of just processing cases.
Now, he’s running to transform the Labor Commissioner’s office into a powerful advocate for Georgia’s working families.
Christian Wise Smith knows what it’s like to struggle. He saw his mother arrested multiple times. He was kicked out of school at seventeen. He missed meals and slept in cars.
At seven years old, he watched his grandmother being strip-searched by police. As she was led away in handcuffs, she told him, “One day, you’ll be different.”
She was right.
This Office Should Fight for You – Not Just Shuffle Paperwork
- Georgians wait weeks for unemployment benefits while bills pile up
- Career Centers operate with 1990s technology and limited staff
- Only 27% of unemployed Georgians receive any benefits
- Georgia has the shortest unemployment duration in America (14 weeks max)
- No one is advocating for living wages or economic security
The current approach: manage the system, process the paperwork, stay quiet. Georgia’s working families deserve better.
- Training programs that PAY you while you LEARN
- Unemployment benefits when you need them — FAST
- Career Centers that actually connect you with good jobs
- Second chances for people who’ve made mistakes
- Using the office’s platform to fight for living wages
- Modern technology that treats you with dignity
The bold approach: reimagine this office as a tool for economic justice. That’s what Christian will deliver.
“I learned as a prosecutor: you can’t prosecute your way out of poverty.
The real power to transform lives is here — in the Labor Commissioner’s office.”
— Christian Wise Smith
When Does This Office Touch Your Life?
You might not think about this office very often — but it plays a role in some of the most important moments in working life. Click each question below to see how.
Have you ever lost your job?
The Labor Commissioner runs Georgia’s unemployment system. They decide whether you get benefits quickly or get stuck in endless delays while you can’t pay rent.
Have you looked for work?
The Commissioner operates 53 Career Centers across all 159 counties. They decide whether these centers actually help you find opportunities or waste your time.
Have you needed job training?
The Commissioner coordinates training programs statewide. They can make the difference between training being accessible or impossible.
Do you have a teenager with their first job?
The Commissioner issues work permits and protects young workers from exploitation and dangerous conditions.
Have you worried about workplace safety?
The Commissioner enforces safety standards and investigates violations. They can hold employers accountable.
Have you filed a wage complaint?
The Commissioner can help recover stolen wages when employers don’t pay what they owe.
If you checked even ONE box, this office matters to your family.
The question is: Is it working FOR you — or just going through the motions?
Christian’s Plan: Bold, Simple, Effective
Opportunity
Training That Pays, Jobs That Last.
Create apprenticeship programs where you EARN while you LEARN. Modernize Career Centers to actually connect Georgians with good jobs—partner with employers to fund training in exchange for hiring commitments.
Second Chances
Everyone Deserves a Path Forward.
1 in 3 Georgians has a criminal record. Christian created second-chance programs as a prosecutor,” he knows they work. This office can help people who’ve made mistakes get back to work with good jobs.
Government That Works
Fast, Fair, Accessible.
Modernize the unemployment system so you get help NOW, not in 4 weeks. Provide multilingual support—staff up Career Centers. Use the Commissioner’s platform to advocate for living wages and worker protections.
This Office Should Fight for You – Not Just Shuffle Paperwork
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