Who is Chip Rogers, Really?

Sometimes I see things happen in the world and I wonder what, why, how? Is the information that comes from the proverbial grapevine reliable enough for us decide how we feel or wouldn't it be better to sit down face to face with the source? Well, I like to decide for myself, so I’m going with the second option.  One troubling question in the world of Georgia politics is "what really happened with Chip Rogers last year?" Fortunately, he willingly agreed to a face-to-face encounter, so he sat down with me personally to give his first public interview since stepping away from elected office late last year. Sitting across from him, he seems relaxed, so I dove right in to ask, “Why did you leave the Senate?”

“As Fathers, we have a window of opportunity to be really actively engaged with our children and what they're doing. It's funny because when someone leaves a position of influence, people assume it's for some hidden reason. "Well", he laughs, "it really is to spend more time with my family."

For Chip Rogers, when flying into Atlanta, his first glimpse of the gold dome was always paired with a feeling of, “I can't wait to get to the Capital and do my job today." Since he was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 2004 and certainly since his unanimously chosen role of Senate Majority Leader of Georgia, he never hesitated to address big issues and fight for what he believed was right. He even recounted a story in which he told another member of the House, "I was sent here by the 170,000 people who elected me to protect their interests." There was always "that fire", until one day last year when he realized the fire was gone. In its place was a pull to go home.

"When Chip stated his political career, he had a one-year-old and a two-year-old. When he retired, his family had grown and he had all but missed it. “I had four kids between the ages of seven and 13, I was missing A LOT.” Of all the powerful and great leaders that Chip has known in his career, and there have been many, he still looks to his own Father as his hero and mentor. Perhaps it was the example set by his own Father that moved Chip to make so many bold decisions in his career.

Walking away when he did for his family was an unprecedented and much criticized action in a day and age when making family a top priority is all too uncommon. As he spoke about his love for his family and of his legacy, I began to see the man behind the Senator- a man who cares deeply for his county, his fellow man and his family. His decisions have never been easy, but he stands firmly and is guided by a moral compass. I can certainly see how the things Chip Rogers stands for, those things that threaten the status quo, earned him quite a few critics. It is clear to me, though, that the choices he made and makes are results of his perspective as a parent, citizen, and a Christian and I can live with that.