Editing Nathan Deal (section)

==Early life and career==
Deal was born on August 25, 1942, in the town of [[Millen, Georgia|Millen]] and grew up on a farm in [[Sandersville, Georgia|Sandersville]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. His parents, Mary (née Mallard) and Noah Jordan Deal, were teachers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-politics/nathan-deal-b-1942|title=Nathan Deal (b. 1942)|website=Georgiaencyclopedia.org|date=2014-12-23|access-date=2016-03-01}}</ref>

He attended [[Mercer University]] in [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]], where he earned his bachelor and law degrees with [[Honours degree|honors]].<ref>[http://www.congress.org/bio/id/198&lvl=S&chamber=G] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120729012628/http://www.congress.org/bio/id/198&lvl=S&chamber=G|date=July 29, 2012}}</ref> After he earned his [[Juris Doctor]] degree in 1966, he joined the [[United States Army]], where he earned the rank of [[Captain (United States)|captain]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gov.georgia.gov/00/channel_modifieddate/0,2096,165937316_165941711,00.html|title=Governor Nathan Deal: Office of the Governor|publisher=Gov.georgia.gov|date=January 10, 2011|access-date=July 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703052421/http://gov.georgia.gov/00/channel_modifieddate/0,2096,165937316_165941711,00.html|archive-date=July 3, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Deal spent twenty-three years in private law practice. He was also a [[criminal prosecutor]], a [[Hall County, Georgia|Hall County]] [[juvenile court]] judge, and a Northeastern Judicial Circuit [[superior court]] judge. In 1980, he was elected to the [[Georgia State Senate]] as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/D000168|title=The U.S. Congress Votes Database |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=931|title=Candidate - Nathan Deal|publisher=Our Campaigns|access-date=July 19, 2013}}</ref>

In November 1990, he was elected by his party to be the [[President Pro Tempore]], the second highest ranking position in the chamber.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pARSAAAAIBAJ&pg=3999,2308104&dq=nathan+deal&hl=en|title=The Albany Herald|access-date=July 19, 2013}}</ref> Democrat [[Jane Hemmer]] replaced him in the Senate, but she was defeated by Republican [[Casey Cagle]] two years later.<ref>{{cite web|first=Emily Rose|last=Thorne|title=Casey Cagle vs. Brian Kemp: A quick guide to the Republican runoff candidates for Georgia governor|work=[[Atlanta (magazine)|Atlanta]]|date=July 21, 2018|url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/cagle-kemp-republican-governor-runoff-quick-guide/|accessdate=May 9, 2023}}</ref>