Warner Robins mayor reflects on making history, representation, her first year in office

In November 2021, Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick made history when she became the first Black person, first woman and youngest person to be elected as mayor since the city was founded.

Now over a year into her role, Mayor Patrick said it still feels “very surreal” to be a part of history and to represent the city.

She said she’s humbled to see the importance and value of representation while serving as mayor, especially for younger generations.

This Black History Month, Mayor Patrick spoke with the Telegraph about getting to represent Warner Robins on a state and federal level, her first year as mayor and what keeps her motivated.

“Representation absolutely matters,” Patrick said. “I have a son who’s five years old and I want him to know that he can be anything he wants to be, anything he aims to be, he can do it. But I also have to make sure I show him that people like you can do these things. And as times go on, people keep advancing. So there’s more likelihood that I can show my son an example of someone doing the exact same thing he wants to do. So though I didn’t have anyone to look to to say, hey, there’s another mayor of a city that looks like me, I was able to gain the people’s trust and be that person and that figure here in Warner Robins.

“One of my proudest moments is being able to go into an elementary school and I ask the kids, ‘Do you know who I am?’ And a lot of them don’t know who I am, but then when they hear who I am, their eyes light up. … They’re surprised when they see that I am the mayor and just seeing how their faces light up and how excited they are to see the mayor that looks like them in a lot of cases, it really is a humbling experience. It’s very exciting and it really does warm my heart.”

Patrick has also enjoyed opportunities to represent and advocate for Warner Robins and Georgia on a broader scale. Last month, she was invited to a natural gas summit in Washington, D.C.

“The City of Warner Robins owns its gas, like many municipalities in our state,” Patrick said. “So we have a vested interest in making sure that clean, affordable, reliable energy stays here. I was invited to be a part of the policy when it comes to natural gas in our state, talking to our congressmen, so that was a very enjoyable experience. Diversity is important and I was the only woman amongst the men that were out there at those meetings.

“So knowing that there was a woman’s perspective there, that’s also what I liked … It’s like Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, ‘Women belong everywhere decisions are made.’”

The mayor said she also felt honored when the lieutenant governor appointed her to serve on the Georgia Commission on Women last year.

“It’s been phenomenal. … I’ll get to meet all the other women across the state who serve on the Commission on Women, and see how we can drive some more change and innovation and uplift different issues that hit on women in our city, in our respective cities or our state as a whole,” Patrick said.

Inspiration and motivation

Patrick discussed what led her to pursue public office and what keeps her motivated in her role.

“I studied politics since college,” she said. “[I was] a political science major, so it comes with the territory, but I had the opportunity to intern at the state capitol my last semester of college. And that was my first time seeing all the things I had learned about how bills become law and seeing how all the legislators interact with each other and it was very intriguing to me … I felt like if I were given the opportunity to serve, that I would be about service and not about self. And sometimes people are about self, and that’s what motivated me to run.

“My motivation is unearthing all the potential that’s just been sitting here waiting for someone with a vision to move our city in the direction that all of us wanted to see. So you have to be bold enough to make that move. And I’m bold and I’ve been pushing forward with my mission with the objectives like redeveloping downtown, for example, so that we can have a place to walk around and I can enjoy my family and all the great things we love to do when we visit other downtowns.”

The value of nonpartisanship

While running for mayor, Patrick had a nonpartisan campaign, something she believes is important especially in a city like Warner Robins. She discussed the importance of meeting people where they are and the value of nonpartisanship.

“Being nonpartisan is extremely important. The makeup of Warner Robins is a little unique. We are not a small city … We’re very red, and then we have some parts that are blue. So I think we’re officially purple. But knowing that I’m serving everybody in our city, no matter what their background is, as far as political parties, being able to focus on the issues is what really wins people over. If they just asked me about an issue, I would tell you what I think. And let’s have a conversation, and let’s see what you think. Let’s see what we both agree we should do moving forward.

“Being able to focus on the issues and not focus on any political party’s agenda at the national level, the things that are tearing our country apart, is what I enjoy the most about my position. Because you get to change people’s perspective sometimes, if you just say let’s focus on the issue, leave all the other stuff alone. And that’s what I do every day.”