Barry is a lifelong resident of Harlem, Georgia. His father’s wonderful example of community service as Chairman of the Columbia County School Board inspired him to run in 1999 for the Columbia County Board of Commissioners. After being elected in 1999 and reelected the next year, Barry was unanimously elected as Chairman of the Columbia County Board of Commissioners in 2001 and 2002.

Barry was elected in the fall of 2002 to the Georgia House of Representatives from Columbia County. During his first term in the House, Barry acted as assistant deputy whip for the Republican Caucus and served as a member of the Committees on Judiciary, Transportation and State Planning and Community Affairs. For his service during that legislative session, Barry was awarded the Champion for Georgia’s Cities Award from the Georgia Municipal Association, the Legislative Leadership Award from the Georgia Hospital Association and the Family Service Award from the Georgia Family Council.

In the fall of 2004 Barry was reelected to the House without opposition. Following the historic elections of November 2004, where Georgians gave Republicans a majority in the Georgia House of Representatives for the first time in over 130 years, Barry was elected by his fellow caucus members to the position of Majority Whip. As the Majority Whip, he holds the second highest position in the House Republican Caucus and is an Ex-Officio voting member of all House committees. In addition to his regular service on the Committees on Appropriations, Rules, Judiciary and Transportation, Barry also serves on the Ethics Committee as part of his House leadership duties.

Barry has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a law degree from the University of Georgia. While an undergraduate at UGA, he served as an intern for the Georgia House of Representatives, U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, and Governor Joe Frank Harris. Prior to entering law school he worked as an aide to U.S. Congressman Richard Ray and as Campaign Coordinator for U.S. Congressman Doug Barnard, Jr. During law school Barry was a Student Assistant District Attorney under Danny Craig in the Augusta Judicial Circuit.

Barry is or has been actively involved in the following organizations:

Outside of public service, Barry is a partner with the law firm of Fulcher Hagler in Augusta. He resides in Harlem with his wife, Paige, and their three-year-old son, Zach.