George W. Crawford

George Walker Crawford (December 22, 1798 – July 27, 1872) was a licensed attorney turned politician from Columbia County, Georgia. Crawford was appointed attorney general for the state in 1827, by Governor John Forsyth, serving in that capacity until 1831. Crawford also served five years in the General Assembly's lower house as a representative of Richmond County on a platform of states' rights.

George Crawford served in the U.S. House of Representatives, filling the seat vacated by Richard W. Habersham who died while in office. Crawford was elected Georgia's 38th governor – serving two terms from 1843 to 1847. He became the only Whig Party candidate in state history to occupy the Governor's Mansion. Crawford then served as United States Secretary of War from 1849 to 1850. There, Crawford distinguished himself as a fiscal conservative. He was elevated to the United States House of Representatives as a Whig to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Richard W. Habersham. His term there was short, only serving from January 7 to March 3, 1843.

Governor of Georgia George W. Crawford was the Whig Party's nominee for governor in 1843. Crawford defeated the Democratic nominee, Mark Anthony Cooper, by a vote of 38,813 to 35,325

Crawford's administration established the Supreme Court of Georgia as well, which had failed to be institutionalized for decades of previous effort.