John Barge

John D. Barge is the former superintendent of schools for the U.S. state of Georgia. He was a candidate for Governor of Georgia in the 2014 election, coming in third place in the Republican primary and receiving 11.5% of the vote.

In 2020, Barge ran for the United States House of Representatives in Georgia's 14th congressional district, but lost in the Republican primary on June 9, 2020.

Barge graduated from Berry College in Rome, Georgia with a bachelor's degree, from the University of West Georgia with master's and specialist's degrees, and from the University of Georgia with a doctorate in educational leadership. He has served as a high school and middle school teacher, assistant principal, and principal, and as the state director of career, technical and agriculture education for the Georgia Department of Education. Prior to being elected state school superintendent, Barge served as the director of secondary curriculum and instruction with the Bartow County School System.