Columbus Advocate Champions Domestic Violence Legislation, Announces City Council Bid

Dr. Jaketra Bryant, a licensed professional counselor and researcher, is stepping into the political spotlight after helping secure passage of Georgia’s first domestic violence self-defense law. As she prepares to launch her campaign for Columbus City Council District 7, Bryant is also expanding a community-based initiative aimed at tackling crime and systemic violence.

House Bill 582, which takes effect this month, mandates that Georgia courts consider evidence of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and mental health issues before sentencing defendants, creating new legal protections for women who defend themselves against abusers.

"It's the only domestic violence self-defense law in Georgia," Bryant said in a recent interview. "Women who are currently incarcerated, and women who are facing sentencing, will have the opportunity to have their reports reviewed if they've been victims of sex trafficking, domestic violence, or in toxic relationships."

Bryant served as the bill’s primary researcher, drawing on her time as a counselor at Metro State Prison, Georgia’s women’s maximum-security facility.

"I met tons of women and got a chance to hear intimate stories of how people get caught in systems," she said. "I conducted all the research on what other states were doing and created the argument for why this legislation was needed."

The bill was sponsored by a Republican lawmaker after strategic outreach from Bryant’s all-women team at the Georgia Women’s Policy Institute, a program of the YWCA of Atlanta. Bryant said attorneys who had long worked on similar reforms were “super excited” about the bill’s passage.

Bryant plans to officially announce her candidacy for Columbus City Council District 7 in October. The election is set for May 2026. District 7 includes downtown Columbus and parts of South Lumpkin Road.

"I am so for the people, and I see that they keep overlooking people," Bryant said. "There's such an unequal distribution of not just funding, but educational balance, stores, and resources."

She emphasized an “inclusive view” of Columbus and plans to address academic disparities, crime, healthcare access, and infrastructure by working closely with residents and community organizations.

"I'm such an everyday girl. People probably don't know I'm a doctor or that I'm so into political stuff," she said. "I plan to remain myself and continue having regular everyday conversations where people feel super connected."

Bryant is also launching several local initiatives ahead of her campaign, including a mentorship event with Big Brothers Big Sisters on June 29 at Frank Chester Park. She also founded Breaking Cycles, a free group-based resource aimed at reducing gang violence, youth deaths, and repeat incarceration in Columbus.

“I started Breaking Cycles to address the crime I was seeing in our city,” Bryant said. “It’s focused on helping at least 80 families by tackling the rooted issues behind family and neighborhood violence and incarceration.”

The initiative provides tools for emotional regulation and trauma recovery. Bryant recently wrote a grant through the Atlanta Human and Civil Rights Center and has applied for crime prevention funding from the Columbus City Council to expand the program.

More information about her initiatives can be found at www.jaketrabryantincludeus.us.